Welch Capital Team

Mr. Leighton B. Welch      

Chief Executive Officer & Senior Portfolio Manager

Harvard University, AB; Harvard Business School, MBA

Eagle Capital; Boston Ventures; TA Associates


Mr. Christopher W. Welch, CFA      

President, Chief Compliance Officer, & Senior Portfolio Manager

Harvard University, AB; Harvard Business School, MBA

Bankers Trust Investment Management; Smith Barney


Mr. Alexander R. Basso, CFA      

Chief Operating Officer

B.A. in Finance, Manhattanville College



Welch Capital Team

Leighton B. Welch – Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Senior Portfolio Manager

Mr. Welch founded Welch Capital in July 1996 and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager. Previously, he was employed for over five years as a Portfolio Manager with Eagle Capital Management. While at Eagle Capital, Mr. Welch managed over $120 million in assets while providing industry expertise in the healthcare, technology and business services sectors. Prior to his joining Eagle Capital, he worked as an Associate for Boston Ventures, a firm concentrating on management buyouts. Prior to that, Mr. Welch worked as an Analyst for T.A. Associates, a Boston-based venture capital firm, with interests in both private and public technology companies. Mr. Welch holds both an AB and an MBA from Harvard University. [top]


Christopher W. Welch, CFA – President, Chief Compliance Officer, & Senior Portfolio Manager

Mr. Welch joined Welch Capital in 1997 as a Senior Portfolio Manager and Chief Compliance Officer specializing in the financials, business services and industrials sectors and currently serves as President, Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager. He has over twenty-five chief operating officer years of investment experience. Prior to joining Welch Capital, he was a Portfolio Manager with Bankers Trust Investment Management in both New York and Hong Kong specializing in international bonds and equities. Mr. Welch also worked for Smith Barney as an Analyst in their Investment Banking Technology Group and Financial Restructuring Group. Mr. Welch holds both an AB and an MBA from Harvard University. [top]


Alexander R. Basso, CFA – Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Basso joined Welch Capital in September 2015. Prior to joining Welch Capital, he was a Client Accounting Assistant at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. During college, Mr. Basso worked as an intern at Mariner Investment Group, in which he reported directly to the Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Basso graduated with honors and received a B.A. in Finance from Manhattanville College (Purchase, NY). [top]


Advisory Board

Andrew Paul – Managing Partner–Enhanced Equity Funds

Mr. Paul is the co-founder and Managing Partner of EEF. Mr. Paul has been actively engaged in private equity and venture capital investing for 29 years, primarily focused on healthcare services. Prior to EEF, Mr. Paul spent 16 years at Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe (“WCAS”) where he was a Managing General Partner. After retiring from WCAS in 2000, Mr. Paul focused his energies on investing in small capitalization companies and in 2005, he cofounded EEF. He is the most senior member of EEF’s Investment Committee. Mr. Paul serves on the Board of Directors of Aphena Pharma Solutions, NextCare Urgent Care, Management Health Solutions, MedTest, and Priority Ambulance. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.


John Fisher – Managing Director-DFJ

John H. N. Fisher is a Managing Director of DFJ, with 29 years of venture capital investing experience. On behalf of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, John has served on the boards of many companies, both private and public. At present, his board positions include SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY), Good Technology,CafeMom, Pulsepoint, and Raydiance. In addition, John serves on the Investment Committees of DFJ Growth Fund (Menlo Park), DFJ Esprit Ventures (London),DFJ ePlanet Ventures (global) and DFJ New England (Boston). Previously, John worked at ABS Ventures, where he focused on enterprise software and services. In addition to his venture capital experience, John gained further investment industry experience at Alex. Brown & Sons and Bank of America. In the non-profit realm, John serves as a Trustee of the California Academy of Sciences, and he is on the board of Common Sense Media. John is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School.


Theodore H. Ashford III – President, CIO–Ashford Capital Management

Ted is the Chief Investment Officer of Ashford Capital Management, a $844 Million investment firm focused on small cap growth companies. Prior to joining Ashford in 1994, Ted worked for an international management company where he developed corporate services throughout Latin America and established the company base of operations in Miami, FL. Ashford Capital has successfully invested in small cap growth companies for over 30 years and currently employs thirteen investment professionals. Mr. Ashford graduated from Harvard with a B.A. in History.


Lanny Thorndike – President–Choate Investment Advisors

Lanny Thorndike is the President of Choate Investment Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Choate, Lanny Thorndike was the Executive Vice President & Managing Director of Congress Asset Management where he served as a Portfolio Manager on the Small Cap Growth, SMid Growth, and Large Cap Growth Investment Committees. In addition, he was a member of the firm’s Investment Oversight Committee and Management Committee, which is responsible for strategic planning to advance the company’s mission and objectives. Prior to Congress, Lanny was Managing Partner of Century Capital, Chairman of the Century Funds, and the Portfolio Manager for Century Small Cap Select Fund and Century Shares Trust. He has more than 30 years of investment experience. Previously, he was an equity analyst at William Blair and Company, LLC and analyst/portfolio manager at CC&F Asset Management. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Harvard University and received an MBA from The J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. In his spare time, Lanny participates on the boards of several organizations including Partners Healthcare, Brigham Health, and the Cotting School, the nation’s first school for children with disabilities.


John Fitzgibbons – Principal–J Fitzgibbons LLC

Mr. Fitzgibbons founded and is Chairman and CEO of Basin Holdings, comprising a group of companies active in the manufacturing and distribution of specialized oilfield equipment to global customers. In addition, he is a Founder and Chairman of the following companies: Integra Group, an oilfield services company employing over 20,000 people; Brookline Real Estate Partners, a real estate development company; Global Guardian LLC, a global security firm active in 20 emerging markets; and Hudson Valley Harvest , an agricultural distribution company. Mr. Fitzgibbons is also a Co-Founder and Director of Deerpath Capital, a New York based investment fund providing loans to small and mid-sized US companies. Through J Fitzgibbons LLC, Mr. Fitzgibbons manages a wide variety of investments. Mr. Fitzgibbons is Chairman of The SUNY Research Foundation and is Co-Chairman of the Cancer Research Institute. Mr. Fitzgibbons attended Harvard College, graduating cum laude with a BA degree in Government.


Robert Wong CPA, JD – President–McCabe Heidrich & Wong, PC

Prior to co-founding McCabe Heidrich & Wong in 1986, Robert was a Partner in the tax practice of Deloitte Haskins + Sells (now Deloitte & Touche) and before Deloitte, Mr. Wong practiced law in New Jersey. Mr. Wong’s practice is centered on tax and consulting for acquisitions, partnerships and trusts and estates. Mr. Wong received his law degree from Hofstra Law School.