Executives
David Young
Chief Investment Officer David Young has provided investment strategy, portfolio management, and asset allocation for many of the largest and most sophisticated institutional and private investors across the globe. During his 26 years of investment experience, he served as the executive vice president of Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO) for fourteen years, retiring in 2008 to pursue teaching opportunities at the Paul Merage School of Business in Irvine, California. As a professor, he currently teaches finance and investment courses there and at the Financial Times Knowledge Programs in the UK, along with CFA exam preparation courses sponsored by CFA societies in California and abroad. From 1999 to 2006, David also served as head of the PIMCO account management group in London, where he built a team of investment professionals managing approximately $50 billion in assets across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
David holds the chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute, considered by many to be the most difficult test on Wall Street. He also earned an MBA with a concentration in finance from the Paul Merage School of Business, with degrees in economics and political science from the University of California, Irvine. He sits on several non-profit investment committees and boards, including the county-organized health system, CalOptima, serving residents of Orange County, California.
Senior Market Analyst
Darren Leavitt
Darren has been working in the financial markets for over 20 years, primarily as a buy-side institutional investor. He has provided multiple investment solutions to clients utilizing his extensive knowledge of the public and private global markets. Darren has created growth-oriented equity portfolios, fundamental tactical asset allocation models, passive asset allocation models, and developed quantitative strategy solutions for clients. Throughout his career, Darren had held a variety of senior positions including Chief Investment Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Portfolio Manager, Senior Analyst, Senior Trader, and Financial Advisor.
Darren received his BS in Finance from DePaul University and an MS in Financial Markets and Trading from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Darren is a CFA charter holder and is a member of the CFA Society of San Francisco. He has also been a member of both the San Francisco and Chicago Security Traders Associations.
Outside of work, Darren enjoys spending time with his two sons, Cole and Declan. He is an avid Thoroughbred racing fan. His other interests include art, golf, travel, and cooking.
Dan Biagini
Prior to joining Foundations Investment Advisors, Dan Biagini spent eight years working for Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. As regional vice president of sales at Allianz, he led a sales team who worked with Field Marketing Organizations and financial professionals alike. His responsibilities included educating advisers on the use of fixed indexed and indexed variable annuities within a financial portfolio, for the creation of retirement strategies that help clients meet their long-term financial goals in a variety of market conditions. In late 2017, Dan was selected for an assignment in Sydney, Australia to help Allianz SE’s initiative to launch a new retirement product. Dan served as a consultant and subject-matter expert to Allianz’s sister company, PIMCO, who was tasked with launching the first indexed variable annuity to the Australian market. With the unrivaled insurance know-how of Allianz SE, coupled with the investment expertise of PIMCO, the new Australian-based company Allianz Retire+ Powered by PIMCO was formed. Their first product launched in early 2019. Due to his extensive work, Dan was nominated and chosen as a finalist for Employee of the Year in 2018.
Dan graduated from the University of Saint Thomas in Minnesota with degrees in business and real estate. He holds his Series 6 and Series 63 securities licenses and a Minnesota life and health insurance license. When Dan isn’t working, he enjoys traveling with his wife Emily and spending weekends at the lake.
Kyle Mann
As the Chief Financial Officer, Kyle Mann handles the finances and accounting, as well as providing oversight on investment advisor representative fees, payments, and general billing to the firm’s clients every month. His goal day in and day out is to ensure the financial stability and accuracy for both clients and advisors.
Educated at Brigham Young University where he studied Chemical Engineering, Kyle served as a missionary for two years in Argentina before building a career and buying ownership into an independent marketing organization. He was the head of annuity distribution until he joined Magellan in 2012, where he currently serves as Chief Operating Officer. He considers the financial services industry an opportunity to build relationships with people that at this point in his career, he regards as family. He believes in the planning process and the ability of the range products offered by the companies he works for to help people build wealth as well as retire securely and with peace of mind.
When not balancing the books or overseeing financial operations, Kyle stays involved in his community of Corona, California, where he is the father of three, enjoys working out and golfing, and is an avid snowboarder. A big supporter of the Amber Waves of Grain initiative to raise money for veteran charities, he can be seen as a sponsor at their annual event and beer tasting venue featuring more than 40 different microbreweries. He also does his part to support his local craft brewery, also veteran-owned and operated.
Ernest J. C’DeBaca
As Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Ernest J. C’DeBaca (Ernie) oversees business operations, governance and all legal, compliance and HR matters for the firm. Active as an in-house counsel and compliance officer since 2000, he has focused on the various federal and state laws and related rules governing investment advisers and the insurance industry. He has extensive expertise in all areas of regulatory compliance and aids clients in preparation for regulatory examinations and the preparation of compliance policies and procedures. He enjoys the challenges of working on the developing side of financial services because of Foundation’s phenomenal growth pattern and the integrity at the core of the firm.
Ernie received his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico and an MBA in finance from Webster University. From the University of New Mexico School of Law, he earned his Juris Doctor degree, and from Georgetown University Law Center he earned his LL.M. (Master of Laws) in securities. Ernie also holds both the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designations. He began his legal career focusing on tax law and estate planning and has served as an attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Away from the office, he is actively involved with several local non-profit organizations, including the church he attends with his wife and three children, and his homeowners’ association. Whenever possible, he remains optimistic about trying to improve his golf game.
Howard Hill
With over 30 years experience in the financial services arena, Mr. Hill has developed a depth of experience he passionately uses towards the advancement democratization of investing. Upon graduation from Texas Christian University, Mr. Hill started his career in the life insurance arena, then gravitated towards the institutional world and began his career ascent through the early stages of bank investment programs. Working with industry leaders, GE Capital and Nationwide Financial, more success followed and led to the ability to dive into Private Equity, Venture capital and Real Estate development. Additional experience with LPL Financial, Folio Institutional (now GoldmanSachs RIA Custody) created the fire around the Registered Investment Advisory world where Mr. Hill formed his own investment advisory practice, selling to his partner upon joining the parent RIA, Claraphi Advisory Network. At Claraphi, Mr. Hill developed a passion around the alternative investment management space and the offering of those private investments to the accredited investor.
At Foundations, Mr. Hill is responsible for bringing growth to the firm, it’s advisors and for clients through the identification and onboarding of the best in class tools and methodologies to accomplish growth.
Away from investing, Mr. Hill is an avid golfer, supporter of children’s athletics and a fitness junkie. Most importantly, Mr. Hill resides in Scottsdale, AZ and is happily married to his wife of 10 years, Kyla, and the proud father to their daughter, Isabella.
Stephanie Roper
Stephanie Roper began her career in the financial services industry in 2008 and she came to Foundations Investment Advisors with more than 10 years experience in operational management. Prior to joining FIA, Stephanie provided HR, compliance and operational support for two other SEC registered investment advisers, which she helped grow to over $100 million in five years. In 2012, Stephanie obtained her B.S. in Business with a concentration in Finance.
Stephanie is an integral part of the Foundations Investment Advisors team; she supervises, administers and manages the firm’s day-to-day activities. In addition, she cultivates strong relationships with advisers and business partners to create leading-edge technology solutions. Stephanie’s overall goal is to provide the highest-level of service to advisers and clients by fostering operational excellence. Stephanie resides in the Gilbert/Phoenix area with her husband and two children. She enjoys going to Broadway musicals with her son who is very active in community theatre.
Ernie received his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico and an MBA in finance from Webster University. From the University of New Mexico School of Law, he earned his Juris Doctor degree, and from Georgetown University Law Center he earned his LL.M. (Master of Laws) in securities. Ernie also holds both the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designations. He began his legal career focusing on tax law and estate planning and has served as an attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Away from the office, he is actively involved with several local non-profit organizations, including the church he attends with his wife and three children, and his homeowners’ association. Whenever possible, he remains optimistic about trying to improve his golf game.
Josh Cooksey
Originally from Indiana, Josh Cooksey first began working in the financial industry in 2011 as an independent insurance producer. He built a book of business by providing clients assistance with Life Insurance, Annuities, Medicare, LTC, and Health insurance products. While doing this he also learned valuable skills assembling and managing a team of agents under him until 2015 when he decided to acquire his series 65 and practice as a financial advisor. He joined with Foundations Investment Advisors in 2016 as an operations specialist in addition to meeting with clients.In 2017 he put his degree in software design to use and developed a program to help financial firms with processing documents.
Josh currently heads the operations of Foundations and works to provide advisors and their staff top level service through design and implementation of improvements toward the infrastructure of the firm. He currently resides in Chandler, Arizona with his wife, Tracy, and three children. When not at the office he enjoys technology, golf, basketball and weightlifting.
