Team

Managing Member

Scott Schaefer

CFA, MBA

Scott joined Steelhead in 2005 to launch the convertible bond strategy. Serving as Steelhead’s Managing Member since 2019, Scott transitioned from day-to-day management of the strategy to a role of oversight, strategy, risk management and advisory on January 1, 2023. Scott has 29 years of experience investing in convertibles and 37 years of portfolio management experience. His interest in convertibles was sparked in the early 1990s while co-managing a $5 billion investment-grade corporate portfolio at Loews Corporation. There, Scott proposed a new strategy focusing solely on convertibles. In 1998, an internal fund, combining traditional convertible arbitrage and fixed-income-like (“busted”) convertible investing, was launched. Scott continuously refined and perfected his strategy until his departure from Loews in 2005, at which time he was managing $800 million in convertible assets. Prior to Loews, Scott was with Prudential Insurance, where he was the portfolio manager for two fixed-income mutual funds. At Prudential, he gained experience investing in government, corporate, and mortgage-backed securities, as well as hedging with futures and options. Scott began his career with IBM as a computer programmer. Scott graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University, with a dual major in economics and computer science. He received his MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Member and Portfolio Manager

Nick McFarland

CFA, MBA

Nick joined Steelhead in 2008 as a dedicated analyst for the convertible strategy. As of January 1, 2023, he became the sole portfolio manager of the strategy, having served as co-portfolio manager since 2016 and, before then, as assistant portfolio manager from 2014 to 2016. Nick has been a member of Steelhead Partners LLC since 2020. Prior to joining Steelhead, Nick gained experience at several value/credit-oriented funds (including Franklin Templeton) performing credit analysis, building financial models, and developing trading strategies. He spent six years in derivatives strategy and trading at Russell Investment Group and Rotella Capital Management. Nick graduated from University of Puget Sound with a B.A. in business leadership (finance emphasis). He received his MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Steelhead Partners Co-Founder and Member

J. Michael Johnston

MBA

Michael co-founded Steelhead Partners LLC in late 1996 to form and manage Steelhead’s original long/short equity strategy. Prior to founding Steelhead, he was senior vice president and senior portfolio manager at Loews Corporation, where he co-managed over $5 billion in corporate bonds and also managed an equity portfolio. He began his investment career at Prudential Insurance as a high yield and investment-grade credit analyst. Michael was promoted to co-portfolio manager of an $11 billion fixed income portfolio in 1991. He graduated with honors from Texas Christian University with a degree in finance and completed his MBA at the Johnson Graduate School of Business at Cornell University.

Chief Finance Officer & Chief Operating Officer

Grant Hulse

CFA

Grant joined the firm in 2008. He manages back-office functions including fund NAV calculations, tax reporting, trading operations, and IT infrastructure. Prior to joining Steelhead, Grant was a director at BlackRock Inc. (formerly Quellos Group LLC), responsible for managing fund valuation for the open-end absolute return products. Previously he spent three years in public accounting at Ernst & Young. Grant graduated from Western Washington University with a B.A. degree in accounting.

Chief Client Strategist

Aimee Hirata

Aimee joined Steelhead in 2024 to lead investor relations and marketing strategy. Previously, she served as the Global Head of Product Strategy for BlackRock’s Multi-Alternatives business, overseeing more than $35 billion in client assets invested in hedge fund and private markets solutions. Previously, Aimee led product strategy for BlackRock Alternative Advisors (formerly Quellos Group LLC), a dedicated investment team focused on constructing high-conviction hedge fund portfolios for institutional and high-net-worth clients. She began her investment career co-leading the pension research team at Jeffrey Slocum & Associates, an institutional consulting firm. Aimee holds a BSBA in Management and Marketing from Creighton University.

General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer

Brent Binge

Brent joined Steelhead in 2010. Prior to joining Steelhead, he was a director in the legal department of BlackRock, Inc. (formerly Quellos Group LLC), where he started as an associate general counsel in 2004. He began his legal career in 1998 at the law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, where he focused on securities and investment adviser regulatory advice, private placements, and corporate legal matters. Brent graduated cum laude from the University of Puget Sound and received his J.D. magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Senior Analyst

Christopher Brown

CFA, CPA

Chris joined Steelhead as an analyst for the convertible bond strategy in 2014 upon graduating from University of Washington and was promoted to senior analyst in 2020. His undergraduate work experience included internships with Deloitte & Touche’s Audit group and Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Management group, as well as assisting with teaching a UW MBA accounting course. His undergraduate research focused on fraudulent financial reporting. Chris graduated with a B.A. in business administration with a concentration in accounting and finance.

Analyst

Trevor Bovero

CFA

Trevor joined Steelhead in 2019 upon graduating from Oregon State University. His prior work experience includes internships in finance and accounting and actively contributing to Seeking Alpha. He served as a portfolio manager of OSU’s student investment group and as president of the student finance club. Trevor graduated with a B.S. in finance and a minor in music.

Junior Analyst

Ethan Schiller

Ethan joined Steelhead in the fall of 2024 after graduating magna cum laude from University of Notre Dame with an M.S. in finance. His work experience includes internships in equity and credit research for wealth management and investment firms. At Notre Dame, Ethan served as a manager of the student-run investment fund. He graduated with a B.S. in economics from the University of Washington.

Controller

Jennifer Teschke

MBA

Jennifer joined Steelhead Partners in 2001. She is responsible for maintaining the books and records and completing the financials for both the firm and its funds, and she also leads the firm’s human resources functions. Prior to joining the firm, Jennifer was a staff accountant at Frazier & Company. She has a sociology degree from Skidmore College and received her MBA with an emphasis in accounting from Seattle University.

Director of Client Services

Stacy Chatfield

Stacy joined Steelhead in 2006 to assist with the growth of our convertible bond strategy. She manages the administrative aspects of client relations, investor reporting, and marketing. Prior to Steelhead, she covered client services for small hedge funds, was a registered sales associate with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (formerly, Smith Barney), and worked in advertising. Stacy graduated from Whitman College with a B.A. in art history.

Director of Information Technology

Bryan Anthony

Bryan is responsible for leading the firm’s technology infrastructure and cybersecurity strategy. He ensures reliable, secure, and scalable systems that support the firm’s investment operations and business objectives.