Senior Leadership

Andre Ohanissian

Andre is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Absolute Treasury Inc., based in Stamford, CT. Absolute Treasury is his current focus and was established as a spin-off from AGO Financial Services. Previously, at AGO, he served as Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer, where he led the development and oversight of the company’s bespoke fintech solutions platform, advisory services, trading, and asset management divisions.

Andre's career spans over 25 years and includes various leadership roles at Bear Stearns, Credit Agricole, Quantek Asset management and Ally Financial Services (formerly GMAC).

Initially a systems engineer turned Wall Street market maker and prop trader, before becoming a portfolio manager, treasury officer and market maker, his unique combination of education and experiences allowed him to shift to more innovative areas of impact that serve as part of AGO.s work today - focusing on identification and resolution of balance sheet instabilities and inefficiencies in market structures, systemic risk factors and creating sustainable sources of firm returns. Andre's uncommon insights and innovative approaches played an integral role in Ally Financial Services after the Great Recession, where he generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profits by developing a sophisticated bespoke hedging program under Chicago Fed’s oversight which earned +400 BPS in annual gains versus costs of (80) bps from traditional hedging. He continues to disprove commonly accepted notions regarding relationships between risk management, costs and rewards by consistently discovering solutions with high positive rewards and low risk profiles.

Andre received his BSc in Engineering and Applied Science with an emphasis on Aeronautics, Mathematics and Physics from Caltech and an MBA in Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. He serves as a mentor and is actively engaged in a variety of volunteer initiatives to share his expertise, including emerging market initiatives in developing countries.

Christopher Dias

Christioher Dias is an experienced business advisor and risk practitioner with over 30 years of international experience helping institutions navigate change and uncertainty. He is strategic business leader and sought-after technical advisor who has successfully achieved profitability and growth by recognizing and seizing opportunity. A pragmatic leader who quickly adapts to new roles having achieved career and business success as a capital markets trader, regulator, entrepreneur, consultant and currently as a strategic advisor. He is an insightful relationship builder and mentor helping both clients and team members recognize their potential.

Alice Griffin

Alice specializes in transactional law and works primarily with financial services firms, addressing a range of complex legal needs and providing end-to-end deal management. Though principally a transactional lawyer she has litigated before federal U.S. District and Circuit benches. She began her law practice as a corporate reorganization attorney at major New York law firms before attending business school. In addition to transactions, she follows Chapter 11 reorganization matters and has represented her own legacy shareholder interests before a U.S. Bankruptcy Court, two U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. That litigation, in the largest bank holding Chapter 11 case in U.S. history (In re Washington Mutual, Inc.), was to prevent dilution of her preferred interests and pitted her against a consortium of 15 major American and foreign investment banks fighting principally, complete disallowance of their $72 million claim, and secondly, to prevent downgrading of their claim from preferred equity to common equity. Alice received her B.A., J.D., and M.B.A. degrees from Wellesley College, the University of California, Los Angeles, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, respectively. Her most recent publication, ‘Bar Score is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action’ (Law360.com, July 11, 2023), argues that a law graduate’s Multistate Bar Examination score, not his law school grades, is the best measure of his legal ability and should be used to evaluate judicial and prosecutorial employment.

Alex Sarafian

With over 30 years at the forefront of IT and software development, Alex Sarafian has a distinguished track record spanning technology-oriented financial companies, internet startups, renowned research universities, and large corporations. As Chief Technology Officer, Alex's hands-on expertise and straightforward leadership style have consistently driven technological innovation to push forward new initiatives and drive business improvements.

Sesi Kodali

Sesi currently serves as Chief Growth Officer. In this role, he is focused on engaging with both direct and intermediary prospects and clients to ensure the Absolute Treasury CPO platform addresses the specific needs of the organization. Previously, Sesi served as the Liquidity Management practice leader at Allspring Global Investments where he led a team of relationship managers covering the entire US footprint. He also has held senior roles at Wells Fargo and JP Morgan spanning technology, strategy, corporate development, product, and distribution focused exclusively within the Wealth and Asset Management business units over his career in financial services.

Dorsey Lewis

EXPERIENCE:

• Managing Director - AGO Financial Services LLC
  AGO Financial Services LLC (AGO) is an independent consulting firm providing clients out-sourced execution and risk management services, bespoke software and innovative solutions and advice through four subsidiaries. • Provide advisory services to treasury management clients. • Develop, enhance, and tailor AGO products specifically for the needs of corporate treasury groups. • Educate and train clients on delivered financial software solutions. • Provide on-going support and seek out additional areas for improving clients’ financial risk management. AGO Financial Services LLC (AGO) is an independent consulting firm providing clients out-sourced execution and risk management services, bespoke software and innovative solutions and advice through four subsidiaries. • Provide advisory services to treasury management clients. • Develop, enhance, and tailor AGO products specifically for the needs of corporate treasury groups. • Educate and train clients on delivered financial software solutions. • Provide on-going support and seek out additional areas for improving clients’ financial risk management.
• Adjunct Professor - Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois
  This course (Introduction to Financial Markets) was an overview of the financial markets. Specific topics included the study of money, the banking system, monetary theories, and relation of the monetary system to national income, employment and price levels. This course combined fundamental economic theory with practical nuances of banking and the financial markets.
• Assistant Treasurer - Ingredion Incorporated (formerly Corn Products International)
  Analyze corporate and affiliate risk management issues (interest rate and currency), transactions and agreements. Develop solutions and strategies to manage exposures. Negotiate agreements with financial providers. Provide guidance and oversight to the Corporate Treasury staff to ensure effective day-to-day Corporate Treasury functions, including foreign exchange hedging, debt and investment management, cash management and financial forecasting. Oversight of affiliate hedging programs. Coordinate with and provide guidance to subsidiary finance managers to ensure treasury policy compliance. Relationship development activities related to liquidity and capital raising including analysis of financing alternatives, negotiation of short-term borrowing facilities and participation in bank and bond market transactions. Financial analysis and research including the optimal capital structure and cost of capital, on a consolidated basis and for international subsidiaries. Execution of the corporate share repurchase program. Oversight and planning for risk and cash management integration of acquisitions.Analyze corporate and affiliate risk management issues (interest rate and currency), transactions and agreements. Develop solutions and strategies to manage exposures. Negotiate agreements with financial providers. Provide guidance and oversight to the Corporate Treasury staff to ensure effective day-to-day Corporate Treasury functions, including foreign exchange hedging, debt and investment management, cash management and financial forecasting. Oversight of affiliate hedging programs.
  Coordinate with and provide guidance to subsidiary finance managers to ensure treasury policy compliance. Relationship development activities related to liquidity and capital raising including analysis of financing alternatives, negotiation of short-term borrowing facilities and participation in bank and bond market transactions. Financial analysis and research including the optimal capital structure and cost of capital, on a consolidated basis and for international subsidiaries. Execution of the corporate share repurchase program. Oversight and planning for risk and cash management integration of acquisitions.
• Assistant Treasurer - Ferro Corporation
• Global Treasurer - Employers Reinsurance Corp (GE subsidiary)
• Manager, Treasury Consulting - GE Capital, Corporate Treasury

EDUCATION:

• Indiana University, Bloomington - Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Economics
• York College - MBA, Finance

Paul Cummings

Paul serves as Managing Director at Geller Advisors LLC. He has over 30 years of experience in the investments, wealth management and family office markets, as well as in philanthropic consulting. As a Lead Relationship Executive, Paul is responsible for building meaningful relationships with clients and overseeing all aspects of their service delivery and client experience.

Prior to joining Geller, Paul led the national Family Office, ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW), and philanthropic management practice at Fiduciary Trust Company International (FTCI) as the Executive Vice President and Head of Family Office Services, Foundations and Endowments & Investor Services. During his tenure he developed a number of solutions to enhance the family office client experience, including Family Dynamics, Governance and Education services, and Philanthropic Consulting specific to UHNW charitable strategies and private foundations.

Prior to FTCI, Paul spent nine years at Abbot Downing as the Northeast Regional Managing Director where he led all aspects of strategy execution for the region, including the design of outsourced CIO services for UHNW families, foundations, and endowments. He also served on the Investment Strategy and Management Committees.

In addition, Paul has held various leadership positions at Bank of America, US Trust, Merrill Lynch, and Bank of New York. He led the formation of the outsourced CIO practice for the non-profit organization and middle market defined benefit market for both US Trust and Merrill Lynch. Paul served on the integration committee of Bank of America Global Wealth and Investment Management and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, and was a voting member of the US Trust Investment Committee and the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Investment Oversight Committee, as well as the Chairman of the Collective Investment Funds Committee.

While at Bank of New York, Paul led the formation of the BNY Hamilton Funds (Mutual Funds), BNY Partner Funds (Private Alternative Funds), and Advisor Wealth Services (Single and Multi Office Platform). He served on the Investment Committees of BNY Private Wealth and BNY Partners, Inc., as well as on the Board of Directors of BNY Partners, Inc. Prior to Bank of New York, Paul was a Page at NBC where he worked on iconic shows such as “Late Night, with David Letterman” and “Saturday Night Live”.

Paul graduated from Saint Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He has a Trust Investment Management certification from the NY Bankers Association. Paul is a Board Member of both the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Ridgewood High School Alumni Association, as well as a member of the Strategic Finance and Golf Committees at Arcola Country Club in Paramus, NJ.