Contact Info
Address
4551 Cox Road, Suite 215
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Phone
804-965-5400
About Us
Oyster's Principals
Buddy Doyle
804-965-5403
Mr. Doyle has been in the securities industry for over 21 years. He began his career at Wheat, First Securities in 1987 when the firm had 50 offices and 500 brokers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Through 10 acquisitions and mergers, the firm evolved into Wachovia Securities LLC, one of the largest in the country. Buddy was a Senior Vice President and held leadership roles in that growing organization in Operations, Finance, Commodities, Technology, Compliance and the Private Client Group.
Prior to joining Oyster, Buddy was responsible for the technology that supports the compliance and control environment for the firm’s retail brokerage division. The division included traditional, bank, independent rep, clearing, online, discount, and Latin America brokerage business. In that role, Buddy and his team transistioned the organization from paper-based activity reports and manual processes to web-based exception reports and automated processes with the appropriate control points in the workflow.
Buddy was responsible for the creation and implementation of the Wachovia Securities branch manager workstation, branch audit, customer identity, dispute resolution, email archiving and supervision, issue tracking, registration, rule implementation, SharePoint, and surveillance applications.
Buddy is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He is a member of the NSCP and has passed the FINRA/NFA Series 3, 7, 8 (9/10), 24, 53, 63 and 66 exams. Registrations are typically inactive, but may be used when appropriate to perform interim functions for our clients.
Patrick M. Dennis
804-965-5404
Mr. Dennis has been involved in the securities industry for over 23 years, most recently as one of the Founding Principals of Oyster Consulting, LLC: a compliance, regulatory and technology consulting firm for broker/dealers and investment advisers. Previously, Patrick was a Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel to Wachovia Securities, LLC.
Patrick moved to Wachovia in 1998, where he was in charge of all litigation and regulatory matters affecting the retail brokerage firm. He managed securities litigation and arbitration matters until 2003 when he moved into a Senior Regulatory Counsel position. In this capacity, he handled a number of high profile regulatory matters for the firm including, mutual fund breakpoints, mutual fund market timing, inactive fee-based accounts and closed end funds.
Patrick began his legal career in 1986 as a Staff Attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Corporation Finance in Washington, D.C. He then became a Corporate and Securities Associate at the D.C. office of Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft where he was involved in mortgage backed securities and commodity pool offerings and corporate governance issues. He returned to the SEC in the Division of Enforcement from 1991 through 1996 where he worked on a variety of cases including complex financial fraud, insider trading and revenue recognition. From 1996 to 1998, he served as General Counsel and a member of the senior management team of Banc One Securities Corporation, Bank One Corporation’s bank brokerage firm.
Patrick is a FINRA Industry Arbitrator and a member of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Compliance & Legal Division, the National Society of Compliance Professionals and the Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni.
Patrick obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Virginia (Corporate Counsel) and Wisconsin (inactive). He has passed the FINRA Series 7, 24 exams which are currently inactive. Patrick has also passed the Series 66 exam and from time to time provides CCO services for Registered Investment Advisers.
B. Robert Hall (Rob)
804-965-5405
Prior to joining Oyster Consulting, LLC in October, 2008, Mr. Hall was with Wachovia Securities, LLC (and its predecessor firms) for seven years. Rob served as a Compliance Officer for the firm’s Product Group and Internal Controls Unit. Rob later moved into leadership roles in the Registration Department and a Senior Manager role in the Private Client Group’s Supervision Department. In this position he directed a team of individuals responsible for the firm’s centralized supervision effort, reviewing branch managers and financial advisors trading and electronic communications.
Rob began his career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen in 1993 where he became lead auditor on a number of high profile audit engagements in the financial services industry including hedge funds, reinsurance companies and captive insurance companies. In 1998 he assumed the role of Account Manager for Leeds Management, an offshore hedge fund administrator located in Bermuda. In this position he became an officer and director, as well as transfer agent of a number of offshore hedge funds.
Rob is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College with a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Economics. In addition, he completed the Accounting Certificate program at Virginia Commonwealth University, and subsequently passed the CPA exam and FINRA Series 7, 9, 10, 24, 27 and 66 registration exams.
Jeffrey Harpel
Senior Consultant
Oyster Consulting, LLC
Jeffrey Harpel is a Senior Finance professional with over 25 years experience in Accounting, Finance, and Auditing in the securities brokerage industry. Jeff possesses a comprehensive understanding of securities operations and regulations including net capital and customer reserve computations. He is experienced in dealing with regulatory bodies, examiners and auditors. He has a thorough command of internal controls, financial systems, and merger conversion activities.
Jeff joined Oyster Consulting in June 2009. Prior to joining Oyster, Jeff was a Senior Vice President at Wachovia Securities (or its predecessors) where he held numerous senior finance positions. Most recently Jeff was Director of Regulatory Accounting and Financial Compliance for the retail broker dealers of Wachovia Securities ensuring compliance with net capital, customer protection, FOCUS, and other financial rules and reporting requirements. He also led projects to improve workflow and accuracy. Jeff served as Chief Financial Officer for First Clearing LLC from 1998 to 2004.
Prior to its acquisition by Wachovia, Jeff was the Controller at regional broker dealer Wheat, First Securities. During his tenure there, he also served as the Director of Internal Audit and the Manager of Regulatory Accounting and Financial Systems. Prior to its acquisition by Wheat, Jeff was Accounting Manager then Assistant Controller at Butcher & Singer, another regional broker dealer.
Jeff began his career in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Philadelphia where he worked on varied engagements including audits of broker dealers, hospitals, non-profit organizations, and insurance and manufacturing companies.
Jeff graduated with high honors from the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, major Accounting.
Jeff is a Certified Public Accountant and passed the FINRA Series 27, Financial and Operations Principal, exam.
Lance Whittemore
lance.whittemore@oysterllc.com
Senior Consultant
Oyster Consulting, LLC
Lance Whittemore is a Senior Finance professional with 13 years experience in Trading, Underwriting, and Sales of Fixed Income Securities in retail, middle-market, and institutional settings. He has extensive front-office experience on several trading and execution platforms in a wide variety of roles. Lance has been involved in some of the largest merger and integration events in the industry and has first-hand experience with large-scale training, implementation, and change management. He has been active throughout his career in evaluating and implementing new policies and procedures to cope with industry innovations and an ever-changing marketplace.
Lance was a retail financial advisor at UBS Financial Services in Richmond, VA, and was in treasury-management fixed income securities sales for Bank of America in Atlanta, GA. Lance entered the financial-services industry in 1996 in Municipal Fixed Income Trading and Underwriting for NationsBanc Capital Markets, which later became Banc of America Securities, in Charlotte, NC.
Lance is a graduate of the University of Vermont, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education, and he taught secondary mathematics before entering the financial services industry.
Lance has held the FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses, and the Virginia Life, Health, and Annuity license.
Mary Catherine Wilck-Pond
Senior Consultant
Oyster Consulting, LLC
Mary Catherine is a senior consultant at Oyster Consulting. Oyster Consulting offers top quality compliance, risk, operations, finance and technology consulting to broker/dealers and investment advisers.
Mary Catherine has detailed knowledge of traditional firm business, independent rep, bank brokerage and clearing. She brings over 25 years of operations experience beginning in 1981 at Wheat, First Securities when the firm had 50 offices and 500 brokers in the Mid-Atlantic region. The firm evolved into Wells Fargo Advisors, one of the largest in the country. Mary Catherine held leadership roles in that growing organization in Credit/Margin, Securities Processing, Dividends, Reorg, ACATs, Cash Management, New Accounts and Cost Basis. Mary Catherine has managed over 150 associates at any given time, and has significant experience integrating firms as the result of mergers and changes in clearing firms. She has overseen the implementation of new processes, technology and off shoring efforts. Prior to joining Oyster, Mary Catherine was responsible for reviewing operational controls and business continuity planning.
Mary Catherine is a graduate of Longwood College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Sumita Ashrafi, Esq.
Senior Consultant
Oyster Consulting, LLC
Sumita Ashrafi is a senior regulatory professional with over 12 years of experience in Legal, Compliance and Auditing in the securities brokerage industry. Sumita possesses an in-depth understanding of regulations involving broker/dealers, with a strong emphasis on issues regarding equity and fixed income trading. She is experienced in dealing with various types of trading desks, outside counsels, examiners, auditors, as well as, operational & back-office personnel.
Sumita joined Oyster Consulting in September 2009. Previously, Sumita was Vice President & Regulatory Attorney at Wachovia Securities, LLC where she focused extensively on issues relating to equity and fixed income trading, including OATS, TRACE and INSITE. In this capacity, Sumita addressed and negotiated significant issues with SEC and FINRA and representatives of CBOE, NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ and state regulators. She also advised Compliance, Operations, Correspondent Clearing Group, Trading and related business partners on a myriad of complex issues. Sumita was also appointed to Wachovia Securities’ Trading Oversight Committee, where she (along with the other members) evaluated corporate performance and discussed problems and strategies for the Firm’s trading-related areas.
Prior to joining Wachovia Securities, LLC in March 2005, Sumita worked at TD Waterhouse Investor Services, Inc. She joined the Firm as the Chief Compliance Officer of its subsidiary, TD Waterhouse Capital Markets, Inc. In this capacity, she designed, implemented and maintained a comprehensive compliance program for the Firm’s start-up Capital Market’s division. She also handled regulatory examinations and audits, drafted compliance and supervisory procedures, and responded to real-time trading issues. She also conducted a weekly training session for traders and worked closely with technology vendors to ensure compliance with applicable securities laws. She was appointed as the Chair of the subsidiary’s Best Execution Committee whose purpose was to analyze execution statistics on equities and fixed income securities. Afterwards, she transferred to the Internal Audit Division where she managed and performed audits of institutional and retail brokerage, banking operations, and capital markets.
Sumita began her career in the securities industry in1997 as an Enforcement Examiner at FINRA (District 10) where she conducted on-site sales practice reviews of member firms. She then became a Staff Attorney in FINRA’s Office of Dispute Resolution where she singularly managed over 100 securities industry arbitration cases.
Sumita obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Boston College and her Juris Doctor from West Virginia University College of Law.
She is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia. She has passed the FINRA Series 7, 24, 55, and 63 exams which are currently inactive.
Gray Houghton
Senior Consultant
Oyster Consulting, LLC
Gray has been in the securities industry for nearly 20 years, starting in 1990 with Wheat, First Securities. Prior to his joining Oyster, Gray managed a staff of 80 with responsibilities of Credit/Margin risk and processing for 175 Clearing firms, Regulatory Reporting, New Accounts, Employee Stock Option and Restricted Stock sales processing. Gray is an experienced leader with proficiency in the areas of budget and staffing, identifying and implementing technology solutions, and identifying metrics for measurement of activities and improvements to process. In his last position at Wachovia Securities, he was also responsible for maintaining his department’s Business Continuity Plan, designing and implementing Sarbanes-Oxley procedures and testing, and writing and maintenance of Policies and Procedures.
Gray is a graduate of Emory & Henry College with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He has participated in the VCU Business School’s Executive Development Program, and received the Securities and Compliance Professional Series Certificate from the University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies. Gray has passed the FINRA Series 7, 24 and 63 exams which are currently inactive, and recently obtained his PMI Project Management Professional (“PMP”) Certification.
Lacy Hatton
Office Manager
Oyster Consulting, LLC
Lacy is here to make sure you receive the finest service available. Prior to joining Oyster, Lacy was an Administrative Assistant and Business Analyst at Wachovia Securities. Lacy has held positions as a Information Risk Management Specialist and Security Liaison at Capital One and was a lead analyst on the help desk at Media One/AT&T Broadband.