Kevin O’Grady, President & Chief Investment Officer

All Palo Capital accounts are personally managed by Kevin O’Grady, Palo Capital’s Chief Investment Officer.

Kevin brings an unusually diverse background to investment management. After graduating magna cum laude from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island with a concentration in healthcare economics, he earned an M.D. from Stanford University. He completed internal medicine training at UCLA where he also earned a masters in healthcare administration. As a research associate at RAND Corporation, his econometric research on health insurance was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

From 1983 to 1988, Kevin served as Vice President of the Health Data Institute, a Boston-based consulting firm which helped Fortune 100 companies manage their health benefit costs. In 1988, he founded CHI, Inc., a healthcare data company that he sold to a private equity firm in 1998. From 1999 to 2003, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Valence Semiconductor, during which time he managed over $70 million in private equity financings.

Kevin began equity investing in the early 1980s. By the mid-1990s, he was managing “family and friends” money, and his success led to appearances in Barron’s, a national financial publication. Having built a track record of excellent performance in good markets and in bad, and with a real passion for investing, Kevin formed Palo Capital in 2005.

Successful investor and entrepreneur, tech company CFO, economist, consultant to Fortune 100 firms, and physician – Kevin draws on all these experiences in managing investments.

Kevin can be reached at kogrady@palocapital.com

Nella Webster O’Grady, CFP®, Principal

Nella Webster O’Grady is responsible for managing and initiating Palo Capital client relationships.

Nella has over thirty years of experience in providing investment management, trust, banking, and financial planning services to clients throughout Southern California. She has served in various senior management and client service roles at US Trust, Wilmington Trust, First American Trust, and First Foundation Bank. During this time, she has developed a deep understanding of the services clients and their family members need to build and maintain their financial security.

Nella has served in leadership roles for many Southern California non-profit organizations. She is currently on the Board of Directors of Orange County United Way, the Board of Counselors for Chapman University, the Pacific Symphony 100 board, the Advisory Board for the Newport Community Counseling Center and the Advisory Board for Women Investing in Security and Education (WISE). Other board roles and involvements have included co-chair of the Woman's Philanthropy Fund, California Art Club board of directors, Musical Theater West board of trustees, the OC Baron’s League of the American Cancer Society. Her professional associations include the Orange Coast Estate Planning Council and the Planned Giving Roundtable.

Nella earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Chapman University and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from California State University, Long Beach. She also holds the Certified Financial Planner designation.

Nella can be reached at nwebster@palocapital.com

Michael Cannivet, Portfolio Manager/Senior Analyst

Michael shares responsibility for Palo Capital’s investment research process and for management of client portfolios.

Prior to joining Palo Capital, Michael was a lead analyst for Fisher Investments, one of the nation’s largest independent investment advisors. At Fisher, Michael covered the Aerospace & Defense, Consumer Staples, Utilities, and Financial sectors.

In addition to his research talents, Michael is an exceptional communicator. At Fisher, he was a contributing columnist for MarketMinder.com, an online magazine dedicated to economic and financial news analysis. Michael also found time this year to co-author his first book, Fisher Investments On Consumer Staples, recently published by John Wiley & Sons. The book provides an in-depth look at the global Consumer Staples investment universe and offers tips and tools for effective security analysis and portfolio management.

Prior to Fisher, Michael worked for Liolios Group, an Orange County investor relations firm, where he helped publicly traded firms manage their communication strategies with institutional investors. He began his career with SunTrust Bank as a lending officer after earning his Bachelor’s degree in Government from Georgetown University, Washington, DC.

Michael can be reached at mcannivet@palocapital.com

Clare Tonks, Client Services Manager

Clare Tonks is responsible for Palo Capital’s client service, compliance, administration and accounting functions.

Prior to joining Palo Capital in 2006, Clare worked in various marketing management roles both in the United Kingdom where she grew up, and here in the U.S. In the U.K, she was a marketing manager with manufacturing firms Gainsborough Precision Ltd. and W. Canning Materials Ltd. After coming to the U.S. in 1993, she was a marketing manager with JBA International, a software firm.

Clare earned her B.A. with Honors in Business Studies at Huddersfield University, Huddersfield, England. She and her husband Ian have two children and live in Laguna Niguel.

Clare can be reached at ctonks@palocapital.com