Peter Brandel, President
Mr. Brandel has over 25 years of experience in sales, trading and investment banking. From 2021-2024, Mr. Brandel was a Managing Director for Zeus Financial, LLC, where he was an Owner and the Trading and Sales Manager for the Institutional Municipal Trading Group. From 2013 to 2021, he was an Owner, Senior Vice President, and co-founder of the Institutional Municipal Trading Group of Nathan Hale Capital, LLC. Prior to that time, he served as a municipal and government bond trader at Advisors Assets Management, Inc., as a financial advisor at Halliday Financial LLC, a government bond trader for Banc of America Securities, LLC and a Relationship Manager and Credit Analyst for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. from 1998- 2001.
Gary Galarpe, CCO, CFO & Treasurer
Mr. Galarpe has 30 years of experience as a registered person, including 12 years of CCO experience, 8 years of FINOP experience, and 17 years of experience trading debt securities, including municipal and government securities. Mr. Galarpe was Chief Compliance Officer of First Tryon Securities, LLC, from 2024 to July 2025. He was Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Operations Officer for Zeus Financial, LLC, from 2021 to 2024. Mr. Galarpe was Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operations Officer for Nathan Hale Capital, LLC, from 2013 to 2021. Prior to that time, he was a Senior Fixed Income Trader for both Girard Securities and LPL Financial Services.
Robert Kursar, Managing Director
From 2022-2024, Mr. Kursar was a Managing Director of Municipal Trading for Zeus Financial, LLC, trading investment grade tax-free debt securities. From 2013-2022, he was Vice President of Sales and Trading for Nathan Hale Capital, LLC, focused on trading investment grade tax-free and taxable municipal securities. From 2010-2013, Mr. Kursar was Vice President of Sales and Trading for National Alliance Securities, LLC, where he developed relationships and trading techniques to assist mortgage originators manage pipeline risk with TBA and specified pools. From 2005-2007, he was Vice President for the MBS Pass-Through Trading Desk for Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC, where he was responsible for all activities associated with market making and risk management of TBA collateral on an institutional desk. From 1999-2005, he was the Agency Desk Vice President, responsible for all activities associated with risk management and market making in GSE debt and a member of various GSE underwriting syndicates and responsible for the associated compliance reporting. From 1994-1999, Mr. Kursar was Agency Desk Vice President for Everen Securities (now Wells Fargo Securities), where he was responsible for underwriting, marketing, and managing GSE debt. From 1991-1994, he was a fixed income retail trader for Invest Financial.