Houston City Head
Sheel Patel
Education
- Nichole Ake*
- Farah Petit
- Amy J. Sbrusch
Networking
- Lidiya Deane
- Brittney Duffy
- Leana Garipova*
- Lisa Garrett
- Marisela Luviano
- Victoria Ridgway
Philanthropy
- Rushana Cypert
- Denise Davis*
- Lisa Fierro
- Jahaira Lazo
- Katy Shurin*
Houston City Head
Sheel Patel
Sheel has over 20 years in various finance leadership roles. Most recently, she was the Vice President for Finance at Houston Endowment. Prior to Houston Endowment, she was the chief financial officer for TIAA’s endowment management business, Covariance Capital Management, which partnered with nonprofits as their outsourced chief investment office. She started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she spent almost eleven years and advanced to senior manager. She is a CPA with a master’s in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kent State University.
Education
Nichole Ake, CAMS
SVP, BBVA Compass
Chairman Education Committee, Houston
Nichole Ake is the SVP, SR Mgr BSA/AML for BBVA Compass. She is the 2018 President of the BBVA Houston Volunteer Chapter. She is actively involved in BBVA’s LeaderLink initiative and a founding executive of Women in Leadership at BBVA. She has been recognized by BBVA’s Top Talent Program.
Previously, she was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of an investment adviser/broker dealer firm that focused on alternative investments, fund to funds, due diligence on hedge funds and traditional wealth management. She started her career at Lehman Brothers in Boston and eventually moved to Texas.
She has over 20 years of financial services experience in operations, trading and compliance with startup firms as well as large international firms.
She’s been a speaker, panelist and moderator at Thomson Reuters, HFBOA, DSTA, and STA on operational risk management, industry and regulatory focused initiatives. She holds a BS in Finance from Boston College, an MBA from Southern Methodist University and completed the three year Securities Industry Institute program through Wharton/SIFMA as well as other notable management certificates from University of Texas, University of Dallas and University of North Carolina executive programs.
Nichole is a past-President of the Dallas Security Traders Association (DSTA) and served as Co-Chair of the national Securities Traders Association (STA) Compliance Committee. She currently is the chair of the Houston TXWSW Education Committee and serves on the Board. She actively volunteers as a mentor for BBVA employees as well as Boston College students.
Farah Petit
Principal
Uranus4 Solutions, LLC
Farah is a finance business leader and consultant with 17+ years of experience at Fortune 500 institutions like Citibank, Merrill Lynch, and the Bank of Nova Scotia. Her expertise extends across a wide range of industries, asset classes, and capital positions. In her current role as the Principal of Uranus4 Solutions, Farah is the corporate finance strategist leveraging years of business development, origination/sales, structuring, and underwriting capital solutions in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Previously, Farah was a Director of Origination in the energy group and a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of a major international bank in Houston. Before transitioning into that client coverage and sale role, Farah oversaw the Execution and Risk Management of LAC O&G transactions as Co-Head of Execution since the inception of the portfolio in 2010.
Farah is an active community volunteer with a strong interest in sustainability issues, education, and economic empowerment. In addition to her involvement with Texas Wall Street Women, she is a finance volunteer instructor with the Women’s Resources and a mentor for high school girls with the Partnership for the Advancement & Immersion of Refugees (PAIR).
Ms. Petit holds a B.S. in Business and Economics from Lehigh University and an MBA from Rice University.
Amy Sbrusch
Tax Manager, Weinstein Spira
Amy Sbrusch is a highly skilled tax manager with a 19 year history of excellent service at quality companies. Specializing in real estate and family tax and estate practice, Amy thrives on helping her clients navigate complex taxation decisions as well as and plan for the future.
“Helping families understand their options and opportunities is very fulfilling,” says Amy. “I walk away each day knowing I helped others face big decisions and make educated choices.”
She also shares her experience with her colleagues at the firm and others who are interested in pursuing a career in accounting; Amy is involved in Weinstein Spira’s recruiting and coaching programs, where she offers direct answers to those who want to continue their education and improve their own performance.
Amy joined Weinstein Spira in 2008. She previously worked at Arthur Andersen, LLP, as well as Johnson Baur Carrillo, LLP. When she is not assisting others in charting their financial future, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, entertaining, cooking, and watching Houston sports teams.
Networking
Lidiya Deane
Senior Vice President
Stout
Lidiya Deane is a Senior Vice President in the Houston Valuation Advisory group with Stout. She has extensive experience in business valuation disputes, transaction support services, corporate transactions, financial reporting, shareholder and succession planning, and trust and estate. She has substantial experience providing valuation services for fairness opinions, estate and gift taxation, board of directors advisory services, shareholder and corporate transaction disputes, and divorce litigation. Her client base ranges private equity funds, hedge funds, private and public clients, law firms, accountants, and financial institutions. She earned an M.B.A (Finance Concentration) from University of Houston and B.B.A (Finance and Banking) from Sam Houston State University.
Brittney Duffy
Senior Manager, Deloitte Tax LLP
Brittney Duffy is a Senior Manager in the Houston office of Deloitte Tax LLP with twelve years of experience within the financial services and structured finance sectors. Her client base is composed primarily of asset managers, hedge funds, and private equity firms, while serving as a financial instrument specialist to many other industries. She has extensive experience with tax issues regarding financial products, and she regularly consults with issuers of and investors in debt instruments, derivatives, commodities, and other complex financial instruments.
She earned a Bachelors in Business Administration and a Masters of Accountancy from Baylor University. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Leana Garipova*
Associate, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Chairman Networking Committee, Houston
Leana Garipova is an attorney in the Global Energy and Transactions practice group of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Ms. Garipova’s practice focuses on public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and general corporate and securities matters. Ms. Garipova earned her B.A. from Kazan Federal University in Russia. Ms. Garipova earned her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. While in law school, Ms. Garipova served as managing editor of The Georgetown Law Journal.
Lisa Garrett
Associate, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Lisa Garrett is an associate in the Global Energy and Transactions practice group of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. She earned her Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University and graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. During law school, Lisa served as an article and notes editor of the Texas Environmental Law Journal and an associate editor of Texas Law Review. Following graduation, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Justice Thomas D. Waterman of the Supreme Court of Iowa.
Marisela Luviano
Senior Audit Manager, Melton & Melton, LLP
Marisela Luviano, CPA is a Senior Audit Manager with Melton & Melton, LLP, a local CPA firm, where she provides audit services to investment companies (including investment advisors, hedge funds, and broker-dealers) as well as other industries in the Houston area. Prior to joining Melton & Melton, LLP, Marisela began her career in Dallas in January 2007 with Rothstein Kass. She earned her CPA in Texas in February 2009. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Professional Women, Texas Wall Street Women, and the Texas Hedge Fund Association. She has held various board positions in the ALPFA Houston Professional Chapter from October 2011 through October 2014. Marisela graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston—Downtown in December 2006 with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Accounting and a minor in Finance.
Victoria Ridgway
Head of Client Services, Champion Advisors LLC
Victoria Ridgway is the head of Client Services at Champion Advisors LLC. Since joining in early 2015, Victoria is responsible for all client communications and account administration. Prior to Champion, her career has included positions focused on development and community, from grant-writing for the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston to launching a multiespacio. Victoria attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. Victoria is an active member in her community, enjoys a British murder mystery, and always makes her pie crust from scratch.
Philanthropy
Rushana Cypert
Investor Relations Associate, Quantum Energy Partners
Rushana is an Investor Relations Associate at Quantum Energy Partners where her primary responsibilities include fundraising, financial reporting, and internal operations. She works closely with Quantum’s limited partners on due diligence, capital call and distribution communication, and fund financial reporting.
Prior to joining Quantum, Rushana was an associate at KPMG LLC’s Economic and Valuation Services Group in Houston, TX, where she performed valuation analyses for financial reporting, mergers and acquisitions, and tax planning for clients across the upstream, midstream, and downstream energy sectors. Rushana holds a B.B.A. from the University of Houston in finance and accounting and an MBA from Rice University with concentrations in finance and energy.
Denise Davis
Vice President, PNC Financial Services Group
Co-Chair Philanthropy Committee, Houston
Denise is a Vice President in the Energy Group at PNC Bank. Denise joined PNC in 2012 and spent ~2 years in Pittsburgh HQ before moving down to join the Houston Energy team in April 2014. Denise is currently one of the relationship managers in the PNC energy group and manages a portfolio of oil & gas companies. From credit loan structuring to capital markets advisory, Denise works closely with her clients to deliver value added ideas, advice, and banking solutions to meet their respective needs and goals. Additionally, Denise is responsible for new credit and non-credit ancillary business generation and maintains active market coverage of prospective clients.
Denise earned her BSBA from the University of Pittsburgh, with a major in Finance, and also holds both Series 63 and 79 licenses. Denise is also actively involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters and has mentored her Little Brother for over 2 years since their match in June 2015.
Elisa Fierro
Financial Advisor, Manske Wealth Management
Elisa Fierro is a Financial Advisor at Manske Wealth Management, where she offers individual portfolio design for institutions and individuals. She helps her clients meet their financial goals by diligently working to minimize taxes, increase net worth over time, and provide a secure retirement. She leads the firm’s efforts in Asset Valuation by working closely with Divorce Attorneys and providing the proper valuation and actual division of assets in sophisticated divorces. She’s glad to help the attorney’s office with this key component of the divorce transaction. She is also one of the few investment advisors in Houston that focuses on the specialized compliance requirements for the upper echelons of professional consulting. Elisa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological and Physical Sciences from the University of Houston-Downtown and is very active with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where she serves on the Wine Sales Committee.
Jahaira Lazo
Vice President, Wealth Advisor, Regions Private Wealth Management
Jahaira Lazo is a Wealth Advisor in the Regions Private Wealth Management group. As part of the Private Wealth Management group, she draws on her extensive banking background, which includes working with affluent, high-net-worth individuals as well as mid-size commercial businesses. Her 12 years of experience has provided her with the knowledge and skills to understand not only the personal financial needs of her clients, but also the business and economic trends that affect them. Prior to joining Regions Private Wealth Management, Jahaira spent 5 years with Chase and 7 years with BBVA, where she was exposed to Retail, Commercial and Wealth lines of business. She received a Bachelor in Business Administration in Finance from the University of Houston.
Kathryn Shurin
Attorney, Haynes and Boone, LLP
Co-Chair Philanthropy Committee, Houston
Kathryn “Katy” Shurin is a Partner in the Energy, Power and Natural Resources Practice Group in the Houston office. She represents financial institutions, commodities trading companies, energy marketers, project developers and other energy companies in an array of complex commodity and derivatives transactions and financings that span the power, alternative energy, natural gas and upstream oil and gas sectors. Katy works with her clients to determine the appropriate contract structure and credit support arrangements to help her clients achieve their business objectives. She has significant experience preparing and negotiating customized agreements, as well as standardized commodity master agreements, including the ISDA and related annexes, NAESB, EEI and WSPP. Katy’s representations often involve highly structured, asset-backed transactions that utilize project and structured finance concepts and techniques. Katy also has experience handling workout and restructuring matters.
Katy is active in the Houston community. In addition to her involvement with Texas Wall Street Women, she is a member of the board of directors of Main Street Theater and the Washington and Lee University Alumni Association in Houston. She is also a member of the Middlebury College Alumni Admissions Program and the Houston Bar Association.