About
Our Team
Overview
Third River Capital Management is a boutique value investment firm with a specialty in small cap equities. Third River’s managing partners average more than 30 years of industry experience and share a long history of value investing.
Third River’s knowledgeable investment team has been successful in a wide variety of markets. Our focus and discipline centers around a company and a security’s intrinsic value, and our diverse experience gives us a broad understanding of the behavioral influences behind capital markets and a critical perspective of market assumptions. This enables the firm to look past short-term market volatility and focus on the long-term potential of an investment.
Robert H. Harper, CFA, Managing Director
Bob has 41 years of experience in the investment management business. Prior to founding Third River Capital, Bob established Lakefront Capital Management (2000), an equity investment fund that became part of Third River. Prior to that, Bob was a founding partner, first Director of Equity Research and first institutional portfolio manager at Harris Associates/Oakmark Funds where he worked for 22 years. Bob began his career at Stein Roe & Farnham, where he served as a senior analyst and became a partner. Bob has served as the President of the CFA Society of Chicago. He received his BBA in Finance from the University of Illinois and holds an MBA in Finance from Northwestern University.
Kevin E. Silverman, CFA, Managing Director
Kevin has 29 years of experience in the investment business. Prior to founding Third River, he was a Managing Director at ABN AMRO from 1998 to 2004. From 1991 until 1998, he was with Everen Securities as a Managing Director and senior analyst. From 1984 to 1991, Kevin was with Harris Associates/Oakmark as an equity analyst. He began his career as an equity analyst at Duff & Phelps in Chicago. He has served on the Board of the CFA Society of Chicago. Kevin holds a BBA in Finance and Marketing, as well as an MS in Finance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Michael Valencia, CFA, Managing Director
Mike has 13 years of experience in the investment management. Prior to joining Third River, he worked at Northern Trust on the Small Cap team as an equity analyst/associate portfolio manager. Prior to his analyst position, Mike was an investment associate. He has a BS in Finance from Illinois State University and an MBA with honors from Lake Forest Graduate School. He is also a member of the CFA Society of Chicago.
Jason P. Ryder, Managing Director
Jason has 11 years of experience in the investment management and investment consulting business. Prior to joining Third River, he was an equity analyst at Loomis Sayles and an investment consulting analyst with Schott Group Investment Consulting. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Michigan State University and an MBA in Finance from Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
Blake E. Harper, Managing Director
Blake has 13 years of experience in investment research and company valuation/strategy. Prior to joining Third River in 2007, Blake founded and launched Raceline Motorworks. Prior to founding Raceline, he was a Strategist to large corporations at The Boston Consulting Group. Previously, Blake was an equity analyst at PaineWebber/UBS. He began his career as a research analyst at Greenwich Associates. Blake has a BA in Economics and Political science from Colgate University and an MBA with Honors from the University Of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Kathleen M. Merkle, Director
Kathy has 26 years of experience in the investment industry. From 1999 to 2004, she was with William Blair & Company, LLC in the Private Investor Department. She was with McCabe Financial Network from 1984 to 1997 as Corporate Secretary/Treasurer overseeing daily business operations and financial reporting. Kathy graduated from St. Xavier University with a BA in Finance. She is past president of the Palos/Orland Business and Professional Women, a not-for-profit organization.
Amy T. Kirsch, Director
Amy has 8 years of experience in the investment industry. Prior to joining Third River, she was with Merrill Lynch in New York in the Global Wealth Management practice serving high net worth individuals and small institutions. Previously, Amy was with Forte Management managing small business clients. Amy graduated from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business with a BBA in finance.
Cassandra Ramos, Executive Assistant
Cassandra has 21 years of office support experience. Cassandra was most recently with the YMCA of the USA, where she assisted the General Counsel. Prior to that, Cassandra spent 10 years at Katten Muchin Zavis & Rosenman assisting the Controller and Senior Management. Previous to that, she was with FMC Corporation and held various positions in her 12-year tenure. She began her career at Peoples Energy Corporation.
