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Scott Pope, CFA, is an equity analyst, industrials, for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He covers construction and agricultural equipment manufacturers and related companies.

Before joining Morningstar in 2018, Pope worked as a sell-side analyst, buy-side analyst, venture capital associate, and strategy consultant.

Pope holds bachelor’s degrees in materials science and biomedical engineering from Northwestern University.

Jeffrey Ptak, CFA, is chief ratings officer for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.

Before assuming his current role, Ptak was head of global manager research. Previously, he was president and chief investment officer of Morningstar Investment Services, Inc., an investment unit that provides managed portfolio services through fee-based, independent financial advisors, for six years. Ptak joined Morningstar in 2002 as a senior mutual fund analyst and has also served as director of exchange-traded fund analysis, editor of Morningstar ETFInvestor, and an equity analyst. He briefly left Morningstar to become an investment products analyst for William Blair & Company, and earlier in his career, he was a manager for Arthur Andersen.

Ptak holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin and the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Keith Reid-Cleveland is a content development editor for Morningstar.com. He focuses primarily on ensuring that content reaches new audiences by utilizing best practices in editing, content strategy, and search engine optimization.

Before joining Morningstar in 2020 as an associate editor, Reid-Cleveland worked in content and editorial for Built In and the University of Chicago while freelancing for outlets such as Uproxx, The Daily Dot, Funimation, ESPN's Andscape, and more.

Reid-Cleveland holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism. He also holds a certificate in editing from the University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies. Follow Reid-Cleveland @kreid_c.

John Rekenthaler is director of research for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.

Rekenthaler joined Morningstar in 1988 and has served in several capacities. He has overseen Morningstar's research methodologies, led thought leadership initiatives such as the Global Investor Experience report that assesses the experiences of mutual fund investors globally, and been involved in a variety of new development efforts. He currently writes regular columns for Morningstar.com and Morningstar magazine.

Rekenthaler previously served as president of Morningstar Associates, LLC, a registered investment advisor and wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. During his tenure, he has also led the company’s retirement advice business, building it from a start-up operation to one of the largest independent advice and guidance providers in the retirement industry.

Before his role at Morningstar Associates, he was the firm's director of research, where he helped to develop Morningstar's quantitative methodologies, such as the Morningstar Rating for funds, the Morningstar Style Box, and industry sector classifications. He also served as editor of Morningstar Mutual Funds and Morningstar FundInvestor.

Rekenthaler holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration with high honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Rachel J. Robasciotti is the Founder & CEO of Adasina Social Capital, an investment and financial activism firm that serves as a critical bridge between financial markets and social justice movements. Adasina was built out of the Social Justice Investing strategy originally developed at Robasciotti & Philipson, an investment firm Rachel founded in 2004. As a queer woman of color, Rachel is a fierce advocate for social justice in the financial industry. Follow Rachel on Twitter: @rrobasciotti

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Morningstar.

Daniel Rohr, CFA, is head of global equity research for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. Before assuming his current role in 2019, Rohr led the department's team of North America-based equity research analysts. Previously, he was director of basic-materials equity research and coordinated the department's research on the Chinese economy. Prior to joining Morningstar in 2007, he worked in consulting.

Rohr holds a bachelor's degree in history and international studies from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Business Administration, with honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Tyrone Ross is the CEO and co-founder of Onramp Invest and Founder of 401stc, a storytelling consultancy. He is a graduate of Seton Hall University and was also a 2004 Olympic Trials qualifier in track and field in the 400 meters. He was recognized by Investment News 40 under 40 (2019) and by WealthManagement.com as a top 10 advisor set to change the industry in 2019. Financial Planning.com named him as one of 20 people who will change wealth management in 2020. He was recently named as Investopedia’s Top 100 financial advisors and to Think Advisor’s 2021 IA25: VIP’s Pushing Advisors Forward. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Morningstar.

Sheryl Rowling, CPA, is a columnist for Morningstar. Morningstar acquired her Total Rebalance Expert software platform in 2015. The opinions expressed in her work are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Morningstar.

Andrew Russell is an associate equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He covers consumer cyclical and consumer defensive stocks and assists in a variety of tasks and projects on an as-needed basis for the team.

Before joining the equity research team in 2018, Russell worked as a client support representative for the commodities and energy team at Morningstar.

Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Notre Dame. He also is a Level II candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst® program.

Adam Sabban is a senior manager research analyst, equity strategies, for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.

Before joining Morningstar in 2019, Sabban spent over five years working at a New York/New Jersey-based Registered Investment Advisor, where he conducted investment research and managed portfolios for high-net-worth families.

Sabban holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Ruth Saldanha is an editorial manager for Morningstar Canada and Morningstar Asia.

Before joining Morningstar Canada in 2018, Saldanha worked as a journalist in Asia. She covered personal finance, stocks, mutual funds, gold, industrials, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital, and has worked across television, print, and digital news media outlets.

Saldanha holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and communications from St. Xavier's College, Gujarat University. She also holds a postgraduate diploma in mass communication St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Follow Saldanha @karishmaruth on Twitter.

Saraja Samant is a manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. She covers fixed-income strategies.

Before joining Morningstar in 2020, Samant worked for Ernst & Young in Mumbai, India as a consultant in international tax services.

Samant holds a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting from the University of Mumbai and a master's degree in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Madison Sargis is director of quantitative research, a unit of Morningstar, Inc. In this role, Sargis leads a team of quantitative researchers, data scientists, and research engineers, whose key objectives are to strengthen the firm's data and research. Her team develops innovative statistical models, such as the Morningstar Quantitative Rating.

Before assuming her current role, she was an associate director of quantitative research. Sargis joined Morningstar in 2014 as a product consultant and then worked as a client-services team lead before joining the quantitative research team in 2016 as an analyst.

Sargis was recognized as one of Fund Action's Rising Stars of the 2018 Mutual Fund Industry Awards and was nominated for Investment Week's International Investment Woman of the Year in 2018.

Sargis holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated cum laude, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she graduated with honors. She also is the recipient of the University of Chicago Booth KPMG Scholarship and Leadership Award.

Stefan Sayre is an associate manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He is responsible for conducting research on managers of multi-asset and alternative strategies.

Sayre holds bachelor’s degrees in biological chemistry and biology from the University of Chicago. He is currently a Level II candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst® program.

Rebecca Scheuneman is a senior equity analyst on the consumer team for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. She covers food manufacturers, food distributors, and North American grocers.

Before joining Morningstar in 2018, Scheuneman spent more than eight years as an analyst/portfolio manager at Forester Capital Management, covering the consumer and healthcare sectors. Prior to that, she spent nearly 11 years covering the consumer and other sectors for Allstate Investments.

Scheuneman holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration in finance from DePaul University. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Keith Schoonmaker, CFA, is director of industrials equity research for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. Before assuming his current role in 2012, he was an equity analyst covering the transportation industry.

Prior to joining Morningstar in 2007, Schoonmaker worked for more than a decade in product development and consulting in the paper industry.

Schoonmaker holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Wheaton College and a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. In 2011, he ranked first in the industrial transportation industry in The Wall Street Journal’s annual “Best on the Street” analysts survey.

Michael Schramm is a Data Journalist for Morningstar.

Eric Schultz is a manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He covers equity strategies.

Before Joining Morningstar in 2019, Schultz was an associate at UBS in its wealth management division, conducting mutual fund research to help individuals, foundations, and corporations manage their investment goals.

Schultz holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Northwestern University. He also attended the Pembroke-King's Programme at the University of Cambridge and is a Level I candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst® program.

Dylan Schweitzer is an associate equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He helps cover the healthcare sector.

Before joining Morningstar in 2016, Schweitzer worked as a senior research analyst at investor relations consulting firm Alpha IR Group and as a client-services consultant for Wells Fargo Advantage Funds.

Schweitzer holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he helped comanage the university’s endowment fund for the Applied Investments Program. He has passed the Level II exam of the Chartered Financial Analyst® program.

Dave Sekera, CFA, is chief U.S. market strategist for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. Before assuming his current role in August 2020, he was a managing director for DBRS Morningstar. Additionally, he regularly published commentary to provide investors with relevant insights into the corporate-bond markets.

Prior to joining Morningstar in 2010, Sekera worked in the alternative asset-management field and has held positions as both a buy-side and sell-side analyst. He has over 25 years of analytical experience covering the securities markets.

Sekera holds a bachelor's degree in finance and decision sciences from Miami University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Follow David on Twitter: @MstarMarkets. Please note, Dave does not use either WhatsApp or Telegram. Anyone claiming to be Dave on these apps is an impersonator. He will not contact anyone on these apps and will not provide any content or advice on either app.

Jack Shannon is a senior manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He focuses on actively managed equity strategies and is the lead analyst for MFS and Artisan Partners, among other firms.

Prior to joining Morningstar in 2020, Shannon worked in commercial banking and was a consultant providing subject matter expertise on complex financial litigation. Shannon holds a bachelor's degree in economics and history from James Madison University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration in investments and corporate finance from the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.

Julie Bhusal Sharma is an equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. She covers technology, media, and telecommunications companies.

Before joining Morningstar in 2017, Bhusal Sharma freelanced for the Chicago Tribune, writing about tech and startups. She also was acting associate editor for Columbus CEO, and her column for that magazine won the Alliance of Area Business Publishers’ national award for “Best Recurring Feature” in 2017.

Bhusal Sharma holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy with a minor in mathematics from Kenyon College.

Seth Sherwood is an analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.

Sherwood joined the firm in 2016 as a member of Morningstar Investment Management’s internal sales and support team. Before that, he worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a teaching and research assistant in the communications department. He has also worked in administrative support at the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.

Sherwood holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from King’s College London, both in media research. He is a Level II candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst® program.

Neelotpal Shukla is a quantitative research manager for Quantitative Research, a unit of Morningstar, Inc. He works on innovative statistical models, such as the Morningstar Risk Model.

Before joining the quantitative research team, he worked as a product developer for the indexes group, specializing in algorithmic portfolio construction for the equity and fund asset classes.

Shukla holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and a master's degree in computational civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Ben Slupecki, CFA, is an associate equity analyst for Morningstar.

Krzysztof Smalec, CFA, is an equity analyst on the industrials team for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He covers diversified industrial companies, including producers of industrial gases.

Before joining Morningstar in 2018, Smalec spent six years working as a valuation consultant at Marshall & Stevens, where he specialized in valuing structured investments in renewable energy projects.

Smalec holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from DePaul University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Lauren Solberg is a data journalist for Morningstar. She covers market trends, inflation, and other macroeconomic news.

Before joining Morningstar in 2020, Solberg designed educational content for Trala, a Techstars company, and led tours at the Chicago Architecture Biennial. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Follow Solberg on Twitter @lauren_solberg.

Jeffrey Stafford, CFA, is director of equity research, North America, for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. Previously, he was a sector director for energy and utilities equity research. He has also covered agriculture, chemical, mining and healthcare companies at Morningstar.

Before joining Morningstar in 2007, Stafford was a financial analyst for an asset-management firm.

Stafford holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Alyssa Stankiewicz is an associate director of sustainability research for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. She leads environmental, social, and governance research in North America, spearheading efforts on the ESG Commitment Level and publishing reports on the sustainable funds landscape.

Before joining Morningstar in 2019, Stankiewicz completed her Master of Business Administration in sustainable innovation at the University of Vermont, where she and her teammates won the inaugural Total Impact Portfolio Challenge. She also holds bachelor's degrees in Spanish and linguistics from Earlham College.

Aaron Stets is a manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He assists with coverage of North America-based fixed-income strategies.

Before joining Morningstar in 2018, Stets was a client service representative for the Morningstar Direct platform and a member of the Morningstar Development Program.

Stets holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, cum laude, from St. Olaf College and is a Level III candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst® program.

Philip Straehl is the global head of research for Morningstar's Investment Management group, a unit of Morningstar, Inc. In his role, he oversees the group's capital markets research and chairs the asset-allocation committee. Additionally, he is chairman of the global capital markets and asset-allocation best practice working group. Previously, he was portfolio manager and senior research responsible for managing asset-allocation portfolios. He joined Morningstar in 2007.

His research has been published in the Financial Analysts Journal and a variety of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, have featured his work.

Straehl holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and a Master of Business Administration, with honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in analytic finance and economics.

Timothy Strauts is head of manager research, North America, for Morningstar.

Prior to assuming his current role in 2022, he was director of quantitative research, funds; a manager on Morningstar’s markets research team; and a senior manager research analyst covering fixed income, financial sector products, and alternatives. Before joining Morningstar in 2010, he was a financial advisor for Smith Barney.

Strauts holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Jake Strole is an equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. covering companies in the healthcare sector. He focuses on multiple industries within the sector including hospitals and other care providers, along with hospital suppliers and diagnostics companies.

Before joining Morningstar in 2017, Strole spent over two years working for a Chicago area investment manager covering the healthcare sector for multi-asset class mutual fund products.

Strole holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin, Madison’s Wisconsin School of Business. He also holds a Master’s of Science in Finance from the University of Wisconsin, Madison’s Applied Security Analysis Program within the business graduate school. Strole also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

David Swartz is a senior equity analyst in the consumer sector research group for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He covers consumer-focused companies in retail and apparel.

Before joining Morningstar in 2018, Swartz worked as a money manager and equity analyst for a family office in the Seattle area. He also worked as an analyst and fund manager for three equity hedge funds in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Swartz holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in economics from Yale University. He also holds a certificate in finance (investment management specialization) from UC Berkeley Extension.

Carolyn Szaflik is a portfolio specialist for Morningstar Investment Management LLC.

Aron Szapiro is head of retirement studies and public policy for Morningstar. Szapiro is responsible for developing research reports on policy matters, coordinating official responses to regulatory proposals, and providing investor-focused comments on policy issues to clients and the press. He also chairs Morningstar’s Public Policy Council. Szapiro also heads the Morningstar Center for Retirement Studies. His research has been covered in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Journal of Retirement, and on National Public Radio. Follow Aron on Twitter: @AronSzapiro

Before assuming his current role in June 2021, he served as Morningstar’s head of policy research and as policy and finance expert at HelloWallet, a former subsidiary of Morningstar. Previously, he was a senior analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), specializing in retirement security issues and pension plan policy. He also worked at the New Jersey General Assembly Majority Office.

Szapiro holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Grinnell College and a master’s in public policy from Johns Hopkins University.

Peter Di Teresa is the head of manager selection and oversight for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He oversees the manager selection team in picking funds and developing lineups for retirement plans and in selecting mutual funds and exchange-traded funds for broker/dealers, advisors, and investment clients.

Prior to his current role, Di Teresa was a portfolio manager with Morningstar Associates, LLC. Before that, he was associate editor of the Morningstar® FundInvestorSM monthly newsletter, wrote Morningstar.com’s “Ask the Professor” column, and co-authored the first edition of the Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds. Di Teresa began his career at Morningstar as a mutual fund analyst specializing in U.S. equity funds.

Di Teresa holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree from Harvard University.

Tony Thomas is associate director of equity strategies for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He covers domestic-equity funds across the capitalization spectrum.

Before joining Morningstar in 2016, Thomas was the dean of arts, sciences, and basic education at Wenatchee Valley College in Washington. Prior to that, he was an instructor of philosophy at Kishwaukee College in Illinois, where he was the founding director of the college’s honors program.

Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Utah State University, a master’s degree in philosophy from Northern Illinois University, and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Missouri.

Brian Thompson is a financial advisor and the founder of Brian Thompson Financial LLC. As both a tax attorney and a Certified Financial Planner™, he provides comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. He spent a decade defending small-business owners against the IRS as a tax attorney and decided to become more proactive rather than reactive when helping small businesses thrive. Follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianFinancial

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Morningstar.

Lan Anh Tran is a manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. She covers passive equity strategies.

Before joining Morningstar Research Services in 2020, Tran was a financial product specialist on the Morningstar Direct and Office team. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Kenyon College.

Christopher Traulsen is director of global manager research ratings for Morningstar UK Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He is responsible for Morningstar Analyst Rating assignments globally and leads four global asset-class teams, overseeing qualitative ratings and global thought leadership. He joined Morningstar in 1997.

Traulsen was formerly Morningstar’s director of manager research for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He has specialised in qualitative fund and manager research for the past 19 years and previously led Morningstar’s coverage of large fund houses such as Fidelity and Legg Mason. Additionally, Traulsen launched the firm’s coverage of exchange-traded funds, and co-developed the Morningstar Stewardship Grade for funds.

Traulsen holds bachelor’s degrees in English and economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in English from the University of Chicago. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Todd Trubey is a senior manager research analyst for Morningstar Research Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. He covers multi-asset and alternative fund strategies.

Before rejoining Morningstar in 2021, Trubey served as vice president of marketing and analytics for Advisory Research and as vice president of portfolio strategies for Ariel Investments. In his previous stint with Morningstar, he worked in training and education and was a senior fund analyst.

Trubey holds a bachelor's degree in English from Sewanee: The University of the South and master's and doctorate degrees in English from Northwestern University.

Lena Tsymbaluk is an associate director, equity fund research, for Morningstar UK Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. She covers emerging-markets funds, funds that invest in Asia and Japan, and U.S. equity funds.

Before joining Morningstar in 2011, Tsymbaluk worked for Fung Capital, a private equity arm of Li & Fung Group, and for Horizon Capital, a private equity fund manager.

Tsymbaluk holds a master's degree in international studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.