Headquarters:
Amherst, MA
Year founded:
2004
Number of employees:
10
Phone:
833 888 0534
Email:
info@westbranchcapital.com
Website:
westbranchcapital.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/ayazmahmudwestbranchcapital
Ayaz Mahmud
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ian Mahmud
Principal
James Ho
Managing Director and Principal
Leadership
Ayaz Mahmud brings more than 40 years of investment management experience to West Branch Capital, where he serves as chief executive officer. He founded the firm in 2004 after more than 20 years as a wealth advisor at Kidder Peabody, Smith Barney, and Lehman Brothers. At Lehman Brothers, he helped build the Wealth Management Group in Boston and co-managed the Equity and Fixed Income Middle Market Institutional Trading Desks. Mahmud has managed client portfolios throughout his career. He holds an MA/MBA and a BA/BS from Syracuse University.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ayaz Mahmud
Ian Mahmud is a principal at West Branch Capital with 12 years of financial services experience. He began his career at Barclays in investment banking, focusing on equity capital markets, before becoming an equity analyst covering the medical technology sector. He later covered healthcare as an investment banker at Credit Suisse and worked in mergers and acquisitions at Centerview Partners in New York. Mahmud holds a BA in economics, magna cum laude, from Bates College and an MBA with a finance track certification from MIT Sloan School of Management. He enjoys golf, tennis, and skiing.
Principal
Ian Mahmud
James Ho brings more than 45 years of investment management experience to West Branch Capital, where he serves as managing director and principal. Before joining the firm, he was a fixed-income portfolio manager at John Hancock Advisors, where he also managed the John Hancock Tax Exempt Income Trust. Previously, he was a senior investment officer at The New England, a MetLife company, managing taxable and tax-exempt bond portfolios. Ho holds an MBA from Columbia University and degrees in applied mathematics and economics from Stony Brook University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and member of the Boston Society of Security Analysts.
Managing Director and Principal
James Ho
Anne Christopulos
Managing Director and Financial Planner
Anne Christopulos is a managing director and financial planner at West Branch Capital, bringing more than 20 years of financial services experience. She began her career in corporate finance and strategic planning in New York City before joining Fidelity Investments as product manager for its IRA business. She later served as vice president of retirement investments at Fleet Financial Services. After returning to Cape Cod, Christopulos transitioned to personal financial planning before joining West Branch Capital. She holds a BA in music and economics from Wellesley College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Managing Director and Financial Planner
Anne Christopulos
Elizabeth Krauss
Managing Director
Elizabeth Krauss is a managing director at West Branch Capital, where she works with CEO Ayaz Mahmud on the firm’s strategic and marketing direction. She also helps clients organize their finances and navigate life transitions, including retirement, legacy planning, and charitable giving. Krauss began her career at Bain & Company and Fidelity Investments before becoming a managing director at State Street Research & Management, where she led strategy, product management, and marketing teams. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Williams College, where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Managing Director
Elizabeth Krauss
Brett Chieze, CPA
Partner, Capital A Tax Solutions and Tax Professional
Joel Nesbitt, CFA®
Director of Financial Planning
Lisa Harvey
Customer Support
Pam Chhabra
Manager – Residential Strata
Brett Chieze serves as a tax professional and CPA at Capital A Wealth Management, helping clients navigate tax planning with a focus on optimizing financial strategies and identifying valuable deductions and credits. A graduate of Robert Morris University, he earned a degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting and brings experience managing complex tax matters. He is known for his attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and commitment to building strong client relationships. Chieze lives in Harmony with his wife, Chandler, and their daughters, Vienna and Aspen. Outside the office, he enjoys sports, particularly football, and exploring new restaurants.
Partner, Capital A Tax Solutions and Tax Professional
Brett Chieze, CPA
Joel Nesbitt joined Capital A Wealth Management in 2020 and helps clients build and review retirement plans as their needs and circumstances evolve. A graduate of Slippery Rock University with a degree in finance, he holds life, accident, and health insurance licenses, as well as a Series 65 license. After spending a few years in Arizona, Nesbitt made his way back home to Pennsylvania and is newly married to his wife, Shannon. Outside the office, he enjoys live music, bodybuilding, and numismatics – the study and collection of coins, currency, and medals.
Director of Financial Planning
Joel Nesbitt, CFA®
Lisa Hardy is a valued member of the customer support team at Aquastar Swim Schools, bringing extensive customer service and leadership experience to the organisation. Before joining Aquastar, she worked in the security industry in customer service and assistant manager roles, developing strong communication, problem-solving and relationship-building skills. She also holds qualifications in business management and hospitality.
At Aquastar, Hardy is recognised for her outstanding customer service and commitment to supporting families. She is highly experienced with the customer portal and a trusted contact for enrolments, account enquiries, program information and customer requests. Outside work, she enjoys soccer and swimming.
Customer Support
Lisa Harvey
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
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West Branch Capital, LLC
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Bio
Adam Basaldella
Manager – Claims
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Product Manager
Claire Watson
“Swimming is more than a sport – it is an essential life skill that can save lives. Aquastar Swim Schools believes every child deserves the skills, confidence and awareness to stay safe around water, regardless of their background or access to private lessons”
Gareth Cope,
Aquastar Swim Schools
“Aquastar Swim Schools strives to be a genuine extension of each school community, delivering safe, organised and flexible programs tailored to individual needs. Great service goes beyond swimming lessons – it means building trust, supporting families and creating positive outcomes for students”
Peter Smith,
Aquastar Swim Schools
West Branch Capital, LLC (WBC) is an independent, minority-owned, fee-only SEC-registered investment adviser founded by Ayaz Mahmud in 2004. As a fiduciary, it provides advice in its clients’ best interests and discloses conflicts of interest. WBC invests on behalf of clients without third-party or corporate employer incentives, and its investments are not commission-based. In keeping with its culture, it does not sell products. Instead, clients retain the firm as part of their team of legal and financial professionals. If needed, it can also help build that team.
WBC professionals have decades of experience advising on direct equity and fixed-income investments and concentrated equity holdings. The firm goes beyond acting solely as an asset allocator. Its financial planning services encompass tax and estate planning strategies, college savings, charitable giving, retirement, real estate financing, and other financial challenges clients may face. Its customized financial plan serves as a multidecade roadmap that is updated as clients’ needs evolve.
WBC’s clients include retirees, soon-to-be retirees, professors, doctors, artists, entrepreneurs, executives, and multigenerational families. The firm understands the high degree of trust its clients place in it and works tirelessly to maintain that trust.
Video below aired on Empowered with Meg Ryan.
