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Thought Leaders

Jan van Eck

Chief Executive Officer
Jan van Eck
Innovator. Entrepreneur. Podcast enthusiast. Jan van Eck has firsthand knowledge of today’s markets and the complex web of information that investors encounter on a daily basis. He will highlight interesting market topics, filter out the jargon, and focus on important technological and geopolitical trends.

Imaru Casanova

Portfolio Manager, Gold and Precious Metals
Imaru Casanova
As a meaningful contributor to VanEck’s gold and natural resources investment teams, Imaru’s (Ima) financial experience dedicated solely to the metals and mining sector is enhanced through a diverse background, including an advanced degree and industry experience in engineering. Together these perspectives help to shape her analysis and interactions with prominent and upcoming gold mining companies.

James Colby

Portfolio Manager and Strategist, Municipal Bonds
James  Colby
A specialist in the U.S. municipal bond markets, Jim regularly shares his views on the municipal fixed income space across news media, from mainstream to targeted industry news organizations. He draws his insights from his over 20 years of experience in municipal fixed income portfolio management. This experience guides his approach to portfolio strategy and security analysis.

Ola El-Shawarby

Deputy Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets Equity
Ola El-Shawarby
Knowledge is built on experience and for Ola, this rule truly hits home.  As a Deputy Portfolio Manager specializing in the Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EEMEA”) region, Ola relies on her upbringing in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, her past experience as a local portfolio manager, and ongoing travels in the region to shape her unique perspective of the economic, cultural and technological trends that impact emerging markets today.

Eric Fine

Portfolio Manager, Head of Emerging Markets Active Debt
Eric Fine
With over 30 years’ experience dedicated solely to emerging markets debt, Eric Fine offers unparalleled insights developed from a truly unique background — ask him about WWII espionage, growing up as the son of two U.S. diplomats, or building Russia’s first clearing system. As Portfolio Manager for our active emerging market bond strategies, he oversees asset allocation and security selection. From Argentina to Zambia, and everything in between, Eric’s got emerging markets debt covered.

Joe Foster

Gold Strategist, Gold and Precious Metals
Joe Foster
Joe brings a unique perspective developed over a 40-year career including experience as an exploration geologist. When not travelling around the globe to visit mining operations, he can be found writing his widely read monthly update, speaking with clients and journalists as a leading industry expert, and weaving through NYC traffic on his bike to and from the office.

Natalia Gurushina

Chief Economist, Emerging Markets Fixed Income
Natalia Gurushina
Understanding the macroeconomic nuances of emerging markets takes a keen eye, developed over years of practice. However, more importantly, the ability to translate and clearly communicate the ramifications of these trends is an innate skill. Natalia combines these qualities through sharing her daily views on emerging markets.

Ed Lopez

Head of Product Management
Ed Lopez
As the person responsible for ETF product and marketing strategy, Ed is always on the lookout for untapped asset classes and opportunities to improve the core investor experience. Besides being an ETF industry expert, spokesperson and frequent panelist at conferences, Ed is also the host of VanEck’s Trends With Benefits podcast, talking to guests to uncover new ways of thinking about the markets, investing, work and life.

Tamara Lowin

Senior Credit Analyst
Tamara Lowin
With a passion for the world of municipal credit and more than 20 years of experience, Tamara has been able to create a robust framework to analyze the developments within this nuanced market. Serving as Senior Credit Analyst, she is able to clearly articulate a deep and informed credit opinion with a particular focus on providing investors an objective, rational view of an often times complex market.

Charl Malan

Senior Analyst, Global Resources
Charl Malan
With a passion for metals and mining spurred by his upbringing in South Africa and its prominence in the industry, Charl brings over 25 years of equity research experience focusing on industrial, base and strategic metals. As this sector evolves globally through technological advances and more widespread applications, particularly the critical role of green metals in powering the resource transition, Charl’s distinct knowledge and insight has taken on even greater importance.

Shawn Reynolds

Portfolio Manager, Global Resources, Environmental Sustainability
Shawn  Reynolds
The combination of strong industry knowledge and equity research forms the foundation of Shawn Reynolds’ expert insight. With degrees in geology and engineering and a technical background in the energy sector prior to his now distinguished career in finance, Shawn has been there and seen it all in natural resource markets. His extensive understanding of traditional commodities shapes his distinctive approach to sustainable investing as the sector evolves with the resource transition.

Fran Rodilosso

Head of Fixed Income ETF Portfolio Management
Fran Rodilosso
Fran has fixed income on his mind. He has spent more than 20 years trading and managing risk in fixed income investment strategies, with a specialty in emerging markets and high yield bonds. He looks for ways to provide investors with access to the fixed income markets in an intelligent and cost-effective way, particularly segments that may be more difficult to access.

David Schassler

Head of Multi-Asset Solutions
David  Schassler

David offers a comprehensive perspective on market trends, asset allocation, and strategy analysis. As Head of Multi-Asset Solutions (MAS), his insights are driven by an analytical approach, anchored in data and objectivity. David also serves as Portfolio Manager for VanEck’s asset allocation strategies. At the intersection of quantitative expertise and traditional portfolio management and research is where David’s distinctive point of view resides.

David Semple

Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets Equity
David  Semple

David serves as Portfolio Manager for VanEck’s Emerging Markets Equity Strategy. He is responsible for company research, stock selection and portfolio construction. With over 30 years of dedicated EM experience, he brings perspective gleaned from his pursuit to identify and invest in forward-looking, sustainable and structural growth companies that are the driving force of emerging markets and global economies.

Matthew Sigel

Head of Digital Assets Research
Matthew Sigel
With a depth of knowledge in the fast-growing digital assets ecosystem, Matthew shares his research, analysis and insights with investors, exploring the disruptive business models emerging from this rapidly evolving space.

Veronica Zhang

Deputy Portfolio Manager, Environmental Sustainability
Veronica  Zhang
With extensive knowledge of the technologies and science powering the resource transition, Veronica is able to identify the trends and companies that are driving sustainable development. Her expertise in traditional resource equity research, coupled with a strong commitment to both ethical and financial objectives, define Veronica’s singular perspective as these broader sustainability initiatives take on greater importance to investors.