Rick Giesen
- Founder, Chief Investment Officer and Small Cap Team Leader

In his role as Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Giesen oversees all aspects of the investment process and manages the firm’s research efforts. Mr. Giesen began his career as a portfolio manager and equity analyst at Lazard Freres Asset Management in 1986.

In the past 10 years, Mr. Giesen was hired by three separate financial service firms in the Midwest to assist in the management or become the lead manager of the small cap value product. Mr. Giesen’s market-tested experience and expertise in the development of a consistent, repeatable and quantifiable stock selection process enabled these firms to address and overcome issues of lackluster performance and/or ineffective stock selection methodologies. After Mr. Giesen joined the team, each of these products subsequently performed strongly in terms of investment performance relative to their benchmark and peer groups, and in terms of asset growth and retention goals. At each firm, he effectively marketed his investment products to internal and external constituents.

Mr. Giesen holds a BA degree in Biology from Grinnell College and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Mr. Giesen can be reached at  rgiesen@elessarinvest.com