Our Board of Advisors
Guiding HFTConnect with expertise, vision, and integrity.
At the heart of HFTConnect's mission is a commitment to leadership, innovation, and industry excellence.
Guiding that mission is our Board of Advisors, led by our Chairman and Founder, Benjamin Saberin, whose vision established HFTConnect as the premier network for technology, operations, compliance, and cybersecurity professionals in alternative finance.
Supporting this vision is a distinguished group of Strategic Advisors — each an accomplished leader and recognized expert in the HFTConnect space.
Together, they provide strategic guidance, industry insight, and a wealth of experience, ensuring that HFTConnect remains at the forefront of connecting decision-makers, shaping best practices, and driving meaningful change across our community.
Chairman of the Board
Founder
Benjamin Saberin
Chairman of the Board, HFTConnect
Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Saberin Group
Strategic Advisor, Nebulas.co
Benjamin Saberin brings decades of leadership experience in technology within the financial services sector. He initiated HFTC in 2004 while serving as CTO of Second Curve Capital, aiming to foster a collaborative community among technology and cybersecurity professionals. In 2008, Benjamin founded The Saberin Group, a digital agency known for delivering enterprise-grade automation and integration solutions across fintech. As a Strategic Advisor for NebulasLab, he enhances cybersecurity for cloud-centric and hybrid environments. His approach to technology focuses on using intuitive solutions to simplify processes, reduce risks, and improve efficiency. His leadership philosophy centers on empowering and connecting brilliant individuals, creating an environment where they can achieve exceptional outcomes. This dedication underscores his commitment to the HFTC community.
Board of Advisors
David Lund
Strategic Advisor, HFTConnect
Director of Information Technology, Tigris Group
Mr. Lund joined Tigris Group as Director of Information Technology in 2013. At Tigris, Mr. Lund is responsible for all aspects of technology. Mr Lund has over 20 years of technology experience working with brokers, Hedge Funds, Private Equity groups, and Family companies. Mr Lund holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Queens College, City University of New York.
Board Member Since 2014
Tony Cristiano
Strategic Advisor, HFTConnect
Partner, Director of vCTO, Nebulas.co
Tony Cristiano is currently Director, vCTO Services and Partner at Nebulas.co, where Tony assists firms with strategic technology initiatives and provides virtual CTO services to help organizations align IT strategy with business goals. Prior to Nebulas, Tony joined Jana Partners in 2008 as Director of Technology and CTO, overseeing the advancement of the firm's corporate system design, operations, and planning. Tony's responsibilities span the full spectrum of technology, encompassing trading platforms, disaster recovery strategies, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity. Tony holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Hofstra University.
Board Member Since 2014
Naresh H. Singh
Strategic Advisor, HFTConnect
Partner & Chief Technology Officer, Lenox Advisors
Naresh H. Singh is a Managing Director, Head of Information Technology who joined Lenox Advisors in 2012. He is responsible for managing the overall corporate IT strategy and infrastructure for the firm. As Head of IT, he oversees data centers, servers, storage, networks, telephony, the service desk, and information security. Naresh has a diverse background leading technology teams in the financial services sector, including broker-dealer, hedge fund, RIA and asset management firms. He holds CISSP®, ITIL, HIPAA and MCP certifications, and is also an affiliate of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Computer Society Division, and a member of ISACA, PMI and (ISC)2. Naresh earned his B.A. from New York University and is currently pursuing his MBA at Northeastern University.
Board Member Since 2014
Eldon Sprickerhoff
Strategic Advisor, HFTConnect
Author & Founder, eSentire
In founding eSentire, Eldon Sprickerhoff responded to the incipient yet rapidly growing demand for a more proactive approach to preventing and investigating information security breaches. Now with over twenty years of tactical experience, he is acknowledged as a subject matter expert in information security analysis. Eldon holds a Bachelor of Mathematics, Computer Science degree from the University of Waterloo.
Board Member Since 2014
Stephen D. Krug
Strategic Advisor, HFTConnect
Chief Operating Officer, Crexa Capital Advisors
Stephen Krug serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for both Crexa Capital Advisors, a prestigious family office, and Inteligo USA, an Investment Advisor and U.S. fund manager. In these roles, he oversees all daily operations and is an integral member of the portfolio management team. Before these positions, Stephen co-founded Second Curve Capital with Tom Brown in 2000. Together, they successfully grew and managed a specialized financial services fund for over two decades. His extensive background includes his tenure as a senior business consultant with ActionSystems, where he managed domestic and international CRM implementations for leading banking institutions. From 1993 to 1998, he was in equity research at Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette, as #1 ranked institutional investor analyst team focusing on the financial services industry. Stephen's career began as a research associate at CIBC Oppenheimer, where he specialized in the telecom industry. He holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Finance from Fordham University, underscoring his solid academic foundation and diverse skill set.
Board Member Since 2018
David Dinner
Strategic Advisor, HFTConnect
Chief Technology Officer, Brownstone Investment Group
David Dinner has been with Brownstone Investment Group since 2010 and serves as the Chief Technology Officer. He leads all technology initiatives and maintains a direct role in the firm's technical strategies and solutions. Prior to joining Brownstone, David was a Partner and Senior Systems Engineer for Alden (2005 – 2010); a managed solutions provider in the financial space, where he served as a Virtual CTO for over 50 unique firms and built numerous platforms to expand the firms growth. David was the founder of Qbix Networks which helped small businesses in the legal and healthcare space adopt new and secure technology and has been active in the industry since 1998. David received a B.S. in Information Technology: Cybersecurity & Law from Central Pennsylvania College.
Board Member Since 2020
Lorelei Martin
Strategic Advisor, HFTConnect
Chief Operating Officer, Starboard Value LP
Lorelei Martin is the Chief Compliance Officer of Starboard Value LP. Prior to joining Starboard in June 2021, Ms. Martin was the Deputy Chief Compliance Officer at Manikay Partners LLC. Previously, she was the Chief Compliance Officer at JANA Partners LLC. Prior to that, Ms. Martin held the following positions: Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, KKR Asset Management LLC; Vice President, Senior Compliance Officer, Lazard Asset Management, LLC; Chief Compliance Officer, Second Curve Capital, LLC; Associate Director and Senior Compliance Officer, UBS Global Asset Management. Ms. Martin received her M.B.A. from Pace University and her B.S. from Fordham University.
Board Member Since 2025
Former Board Members
Paul Poteat
Founder and CEO
Nebulas.co
Paul Poteat is the co-founder of Nebulas.co, an IT services firm recognized for delivering reliable technology solutions to businesses. A graduate of SUNY Geneseo with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Paul began his leadership journey as founder and president of the "Men of Action and Change (MAC)" service fraternity and as president of "Hispanos Unidos en Geneseo." He brings over a decade of C-level experience from his tenure at Platinum Partners, where he specialized in IT strategy, process improvement, and technical support. Known for his ability to break down complex technology challenges into clear, actionable solutions, Paul has built a career on helping organizations leverage technology to improve efficiency and achieve their goals.
Board Member From 2014 - 2018
Adam Hahn
CTO
Tourmaline Partners
Coming Soon!
Board Member From 2014 - 2020