FocusShares, LLC (FocusShares) is an investment management company that has a single mission - to develop and issue Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).
What Sets Us Apart
FocusShares is focused on delivering investment solutions structured as Exchange Traded Funds. What differentiates us is our innovation and our experience. We have a seasoned team of ETF professionals who are committed to bringing retail investors and their financial advisors intelligent investments.
Management Team
Our senior team has been involved in all aspects of building and managing ETF(s) and traditional fund companies. We are led by Erik Liik, who has been a major figure in the ETF market since its inception.
Erik Liik, CEO and President – Erik Liik is one of the ETF industry's major figures since 1996 when Erik played a key role in the launch of the first ETFs providing access to international country specific indexes. In May of 2000 Erik coauthored with FRC (Financial Research Corporation) an insightful analysis of the opportunities and challenges that the ETF product structure provided to both investor and issuer. As a key member of the American Stock Exchange’s (Amex’s) ETF Marketplace, Erik provided product development and distribution consulting to most every ETF issuer, as well as a significant number of traditional mutual fund managers seeking to understand the opportunities and challenges with the ETF product structure. Erik also played a critical role in both the development and execution of Amex’s global cross-listing initiatives with the Singapore Exchange and EuroNext Amsterdam. Before joining the Amex, Erik was senior vice president and national sales director for Funds Distributor Inc, where he directed sales and marketing for 17 country specific ETFs known as World Equity Benchmark Shares (WEBS). As national sales director, Erik oversaw a doubling of assets for four consecutive years. Prior to Funds Distributor , Erik was vice president and national sales director for Julius Baer Investment Management LLC, where he played a central role in the start-up of the BJB Investment Funds business.
David H. Weissman, COO – As FocusShares’ Chief Operating Officer, David oversees and manages the implementation of all elements of the FocusShares’ operations and regulatory compliance requirements and reporting pursuant to SEC, FINRA, and NYSE rules and regulations. Dave came to FocusShares with 18 years of experience with the American Stock Exchange starting in Equity Market Compliance and finally spending his last 12 years with the Exchange as Director/Manager overseeing listed corporate compliance with Exchange Rules and Regulations, corporate compliance with SEC requirements under the Securities Act of 1933 and 1934, and listed company operations and reporting as to all publicly listed companies on the Exchange. Dave is a 1978 graduate from Brown University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics and Math.
Thomas R. Wald, CFA., Managing Director Product Development & Strategy – Tom Wald has more than twenty years experience managing mutual fund portfolios and analyzing securities. He has held senior portfolio manager positions at Munder Capital Management and Invesco Funds Group. Tom brings a wealth of investment knowledge to FocusShares as he has managed several large mutual funds and institutional portfolios over the past ten years. Funds he has managed or co-managed include the Munder Health Care Fund, The Invesco Health Sciences Fund, The Invesco Dynamics Mid Cap Growth Fund and the Invesco Multi-Sector Fund. Tom has an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School and a BA in Political Science from Tulane University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
George A. Marootian, Esq., General Counsel – Mr. Marootian comes to FocusShares after having been employed by Schering-Plough Corporation for over thirty years where he received broad corporate exposure. Among the many positions he held were Chief Counsel to the Animal Health Division, Chief Counsel to the Consumer Operations, Assistant Secretary of the Corporation, and Legal Director. He served as Secretary to the Pension Committee of the Schering-Plough Board of Directors for thirteen years and provided legal counsel to the in-house pension trust investment department. During his tenure, Mr. Marootian received several commendations for his service, including an outstanding achievement award from the President of the Research Operations for legal counsel provided to a Research project team over a period of five years. He was also a co-founder of the Benefits Counsel Discussion Group, a corporate group that meets quarterly to discuss issues of corporate compliance with ERISA and related IRS regulations. Mr. Marootian received his J.D. from Seton Hall University, and his B.S and M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association.
Michael Liik, Director of Marketing – Michael is responsible for; Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, market research, marketing strategy and public relations activities. Michael previously worked on production projects for; CBS, NBC, Rachel Ray, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York Philharmonic, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and MTV. Michael received his B.A. from Franklin Pierce University in Political Science and History.
