John K. Sargent, Jr., CFA
President and Managing Director
Investment experience since 1990
John joined Middleton & Company in 1993 and has responsibilities in both portfolio management and investment research. He enjoys working with families and institutions to help them articulate their long-term objectives and construct an investment portfolio to address their specific financial and broader investment goals. John works as a member of the Investment Committee to support the firm’s investment strategy, generate new investment ideas, and has helped to develop the firm’s venture/private equity offerings.
John graduated magna cum laude in Economics from Princeton University. He is a CFA® charterholder and is a member of the CFA Society Boston, the CFA Institute and the Boston Economic Club.
Prior to joining Middleton, he spent several years at Corporate Decisions, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in the development of profitable growth strategies for large, multinational clients.
John is currently a Trustee of Gordon College and South Shore Christian Academy, and has served in numerous capacities at his church and with youth activities.
John can be reached at john.sargent@middletonco.com.
Alice K. Walsh, CFP
Chairman of the Board and Managing Director
Investment experience since 1978
Ali came to Middleton & Company in 1995 from her own financial consulting company, where she worked with corporate, government, and individual clients. She has more than 38 years of experience in the field of personal investment counseling. Prior to her own firm, Ali was a Trust Officer at Bank of Boston for 10 years. A Certified Financial Planner, Ali holds a B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is a member of the Boston Estate Planning Council, the Financial Planning Association, the CFA Society Boston, and the CFA Institute.
Ali can be reached at ali.walsh@middletonco.com.
Maria McCormack, CFA
Managing Director
Investment experience since 1985
Maria manages investment portfolios for individuals, families, trusts, and charitable institutions. As Chief Compliance Officer, she oversees the firm’s policies and procedures to ensure adherence with the Investment Advisors Act. Maria is a member of the Investment Committee.
Prior to joining Middleton & Company, Maria worked at David L. Babson & Company and Boston Trust and Investment Management Company in various roles including portfolio manager, equity analyst, economic researcher and securities trader. She earned her B.A. in Economics at Boston College and her M.B.A. from Boston University. Maria is a CFA® charterholder and is a member of the CFA Society Boston, the CFA Institute, and the Boston Economic Club. She is also a manager of the Boston Port and Seamen’s Aid Society.
Maria can be reached at maria.mccormack@middletonco.com.
Robert Bruch, Jr., CFA
Chief Investment Officer
Investment experience since 2005
Rob joined the firm in 2013 as an equity research analyst and is responsible for several sectors. As Chief Investment Officer, he is also responsible for overseeing the research efforts in all of the sectors as well as leading investment strategy discussions as part of the Investment Committee. He has helped introduce tools to aid in stock selection and portfolio management in his time with the firm.
Prior to Middleton & Company, Rob was a senior associate for a firm in Connecticut, advising clients in the chemical industry on M&A transactions and investing for the firm. Rob graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is a CFA® charterholder and a member of the CFA Society Boston.
Rob can be reached at rob.bruch@middletonco.com.
Grenville Anderson
Senior Portfolio Manager
Investment experience since 1977
With over 35 years of wealth management experience, Gren joined Middleton in 2021. Prior to joining Middleton, Gren served as a Vice President and Investment Officer with Fiduciary Trust Company managing investment programs for high net worth individuals and families. While at Fiduciary, he also served on the Board of Directors, the Investment Committee and as Director of Marketing. Before joining Fiduciary, Gren was a Vice President in the Investment Division of Adams Harkness and Hill where he designed and managed the Enhanced Index Management program for clients of the firm.
Gren is a Board Member and Treasurer of the Anderson Foundation in Cincinnati Ohio, and serves on the Board of The Gulf River Association located on the South Shore of Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Harvard College.
Gren can be reached at grenville.anderson@
Barry Hilliard, CFA
Portfolio Manager
Investment experience since 2000
Barry works closely with clients to create and implement tailored wealth management strategies. He relies on over 20 years of research and investing experience to help individuals, families, and organizations achieve their long term financial and estate-planning objectives. Barry is a member of the Investment Committee and contributes to the investment research process in addition to his portfolio management responsibilities.
Barry worked as an Equity Analyst at Middleton & Company early in his investment career, and has come full circle after working in similar investment roles at Atlantic Trust, U.S. Trust, Bainco, and Santander Investments. Prior to the investment industry, he worked as a Project Engineer in the oil field equipment/services industry.
Barry earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Boston.
Barry can be reached at barry.hilliard@middletonco.com.
Chris Merkle
Chief Compliance Officer
Compliance experience since 2005
Chris joined Middleton & Company in 2024 to lead Middleton’s day-to-day compliance program and to support other business processes and initiatives for the firm.
Chris holds a B.A. in Economics from St. Lawrence University and an MBA from Boston College. Chris also earned his J.D. from Suffolk University and is admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Prior to joining Middleton, Chris held compliance leadership roles at Fidelity Investments, GW&K Investment Management and the Boston Company Asset Management, with additional earlier client management and operational roles at Brown Brothers Harriman and Investors Bank & Trust.
In his free time Chris is very involved with youth hockey, helping to coach his children’s teams and volunteering for various non-profit organizations supporting the game.
Chris can be reached at chris.merkle@middletonco.com.
Tracy DeMattos
Director of Operations
Tracy joined Middleton & Company in 2000. As the Director of Operations, Tracy leads Middleton’s day-to-day operations, manages its technology infrastructure, and oversees the Administrative Team.
Prior to joining Middleton & Company, Tracy was the Deputy Group Head of Investment Administration at Murray Beith Murray WS, Edinburgh UK.
Tracy can be reached at tracy.demattos@middletonco.com.
Tori Webster
Research Associate
Tori joined Middleton and Company in 2023. As a member of the Research team, her responsibilities involve building and maintaining financial models to support the firm’s investment strategy as well as assisting analysts and portfolio managers with company-specific and macroeconomic research.
Tori graduated summa cum laude in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from Northeastern University. She was the recipient of the Academic Merit Scholarship and the Paul and Grace Ward Martinez Co-op Fellowship.
Prior to Middleton, Tori interned at The Riverside Company and Tre, US.
Outside the office, Tori enjoys volunteering for Cradle to Crayons.
Tori can be reached at tori.webster@middletonco.com.
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