Andrea Sefler, PhD, CFA

Director of Research

Andrea’s career interests have always read like A Tale of Two Cities, namely science and investing.  In fact, she bought her first share of stock with a cash prize earned from winning a regional science fair competition in grade school.

Both that single share of Texas Instruments stock and her interest in science grew over the years in stature, culminating in a PhD in organic chemistry from UC Berkeley.  After a long, rousing, and rewarding scientific career at a large pharmaceutical company, Andrea sought shelter from the storm of never-ending healthcare M&A activity in the smaller, calmer waters of Broyhill.  While veteran survivors of financial crises like Chris might quirk an eyebrow at the term “calmer,” Andrea would be quick to point out that one of the fundamental properties of the universe is that everything is relative to a chosen frame of reference.

Naturally type-cast as the team's Resident Skeptic, Andrea undertakes one-off, in-depth research projects on individual names and the portfolio as a whole, transferring her analytical skills to the investment industry. Her love of science and investing remains deeply entwined: with a lab coat never far out of reach, she's been known to teach the team a thing or two, including how to make truly fabulous ice cream with liquid nitrogen!