Our Team

Kevin Heal

Managing Director & Chief Compliance Officer; Senior Financial Analyst; Fixed-Income Strategist

Kevin manages the day-to-day operations of ARG’s SEC registered investment advisor, Argus Investors’ Counsel. As CCO, he is responsible for ensuring that the firm is SEC compliant and adheres to all rules and regulations. He serves on the Argus Investment Committee, providing insight on the fixed-income markets and interest rates. Kevin also provides equity coverage for financial institutions including Insurance, Exchanges, Regional Banks, Data Providers, Asset Managers, Mortgage Originators, and REITs. He has over 35 years of experience with large investment banks, regional dealers, and consultants. Kevin graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Economics and maintains the Series 65 registration.

Donna M. Palais

Vice President & Portfolio Manager

Donna manages portfolios for various AIC clients, including public and corporate retirement funds, Taft-Hartley funds, foundations, endowments, and high-net-worth individuals. Prior to joining Argus, Donna managed equity and balanced portfolios at Citibank Global Asset Management. She holds a BS and an MBA from Fordham University.

John Eade

Director of Portfolio Strategies

John is Chairman and CEO of Argus Research Group and President of Argus Research Company. Over the years, his responsibilities at Argus have included chairing the Investment Policy Committee as then-Director of Research; helping form the firm's overall investment strategy and analytical framework; hosting webinars; training and mentoring analysts; and presenting to clients around the world. He has also covered the Healthcare, Financial, Consumer, Industrial, and Materials sectors. John joined Argus in 1989. He has an MBA in Finance from New York University's Stern School of Business and a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. He has been interviewed and quoted extensively in The New York Times, Forbes, Time, Fortune, and Money magazine, and is a frequent guest on CNBC, CNN, CBS News, ABC News, and the Bloomberg Radio and Television networks. John is a founder and board member of the independent research industry trade organization, Investorside Research Association.

James Kelleher, CFA

Director of Research

Jim has worked in the financial services industry for over 40 years and joined Argus in 1993. He is the Director of Research at Argus and a member of the Investment Policy Committee. Jim was instrumental in building Argus’ proprietary valuation models, which are a key part of the proprietary Argus Six-Point Rating System. He also oversees Argus’ technical analysis products; writes the Portfolio Selector report among other publications; and manages several Argus model portfolios. As a Senior Analyst, Jim covers Communications Equipment, Semiconductors, Information Processing, and Electronic Manufacturing Services companies. He is a CFA charterholder and a three-time winner in The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" All-Star Analyst Survey. In July 2010, McGraw-Hill Professional published Jim's book, "Equity Valuation for Analysts & Investors." The book, a single-volume treatment of financial modeling and valuation process, introduces the Argus proprietary valuation methodology known as Peer Derived Value.

Richard Ciuba

Director of Business Development

Richard joined Argus in 2013 and has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He graduated from Drexel University in 1989 with a BS in Finance and Economics. Since 1998, Richard has advised individual and institutional investors on wealth management. His early work included serving as Senior Director at Dow Jones & Company with responsibility for commercializing its long-standing indices such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average. His responsibilities included product development and business promotion and sales of the Dow Jones Index family to the investment community throughout the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. He focused on product development and implementation of new index ideas to be used as the basis of exchange-traded funds and derivatives, as well as structured, insurance, and other financial products. Richard also served as President and Chief Compliance officer for Dow Jones Broker/Dealer Services and was instrumental in facilitating the creation of Javelin Investment Management LLC and the Javelin Exchange Traded Shares (JETS) ETFs. He has extensive experience working with management teams on equity and commodity-based investment strategies and has developed numerous proprietary indexes that currently serve as the basis of successful ETF and derivative products. Richard is married, with a son and a daughter, and enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, and golf, and is very active in his community.

Cathleen Lesko

Client Service and Marketing Manager

Cathleen joined Argus Investors’ Counsel in 2016, bringing extensive experience in procurement, supplier development, and business management. She works closely with both new and existing clients while overseeing the firm’s marketing materials, client presentations, reports, and website. Prior to Argus, Cathleen spent over 25 years in procurement and supplier development at Fortune 500 companies, including PepsiCo and General Foods Corporation. She also managed a small business office in Connecticut and played a key role in establishing Javelin Investment Management LLC and the Javelin Exchange Traded Shares ETFs. Cathleen holds a BS from Rutgers University. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, hiking, the outdoors, and skiing with family and friends.

Shari L. Benedict

Director of Investment Operations

Shari joined Argus in 2006, bringing over 20 years of experience in investment operations, compliance, and technology. Before joining Argus, she managed a consulting firm specializing in assisting asset management firms in using the Advent/Axys portfolio accounting system. Her background includes holding the position of Director of Operations and Technology at Abner, Herrman & Brock, an independent asset manager. Prior to that, Shari worked in the Treasury Department at American Express and WestPac International Banking.