Kevin Pilarski is a financial services advisor with Bates Group who brings over 35 years of hands-on experience in asset management and capital markets, specializing in strategy, financial innovation, and regulatory reform. Mr. Pilarski has assisted clients with planning and managing complex business transformation projects and improving their business processes. Additionally, he has partnered with global financial organizations to develop strategies for regulatory change, increasing profitability and market share, overcoming payment & settlement system challenges, and managing complex financial and operational risks.
Mr. Pilarski is extremely knowledgeable regarding operations and compliance for: fixed income products, commodities, capital structure, credit & credit derivatives, currencies, derivatives, emissions/energy, equities, ETFs, futures, hedge funds, indexation, liquidity, options, private equity due diligence, risk management including “Greek” factors, statistical analysis, structured products and corporate valuation. He has substantial hands-on management experience in passive investment management, active and alternative investment management,
Prior to joining Bates, Mr. Pilarski served as Senior Managing Director – Banking and Capital Markets Advisory for PriceWaterhouse Coopers. While at PwC, he has built a practice that achieved an aggregate of $28.4M in managed revenue and $41.5M in sales in less than 6 years. Mr. Pilarski has led initiatives in Financial Market Compliance, Regulation, Market Utilities, Wholesale Funding, Dodd Frank Regulatory Reform and Private Equity Due Diligence & Valuation.
In 2008, Mr. Pilarski founded Forest Glen Asset Management in Chicago, IL, here he created concept, infrastructure, investment methodology and marketing for a Climate Finance Fund based upon global climate accords and strategy encompassed arbitrage of carbon credits, permits, and futures within a managed portfolio. Additionally, he developed correlations and ratio analysis of emissions futures versus energy futures markets in anticipation of the U.S. cap and trade market.
From 2006 to 2008, Mr. Pilarski was a Partner with Kilkenny Capital Management. During this time he re-initiated marketing strategy and execution for a $250M AUM biomedical long/short equity hedge fund; increased alpha annually in both 2006 and 2007 using derivatives overlays by replacing or complementing existing equity positions; developed a tactical beta hedge using VIX futures and select ETF options; and returned investor funds with minimal loss and liquidated fund holdings in September 2008 when it became apparent that market conditions for biomedical/biotech stocks would be adverse for some time.
Prior to joining Kilkenny Capital Management, Mr. Pilarski was Director, Alternative Strategies/ Global Derivatives and Chief Compliance Officer at Dow Jones & Company (DJ) where he managed the public relations, marketing, and business development efforts for a global equity index provider; developed the strategy that would lever the firm's global brand while increasing revenue through new products and clients; created credit default swap market transparency while managing the production of foremost credit default swap index for North America; and developed North American presence for US/European joint venture that earned over $25M in annual futures and options revenue.
Additional highlights from Mr. Pilarski’s service in the finance industry include:
Mr. Pilarski received a MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business and a B.S. in Finance from Miami University, Farmer School of Business. He has authored numerous papers and regulatory briefs, including the Future of Wholesale Funding
Bates Group LLC, Affiliate Consultant, 2018 - Present
PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Chicago, IL, Senior Managing Director - Advisory, Banking and Capital Markets, 2011 – 2017
Forest Glen Asset Management, Lake Forest, IL, Portfolio Manager and Founder, 2008 – 2011
Kilkenny Capital Management, Chicago, IL, Derivatives Portfolio Manager, Chief Operating Officer and Partner, 2006 – 2008
Dow Jones & Company (DJ), Chicago, IL, Director, Alternative Strategies / Global Derivatives / Chief Compliance Officer, 2001 – 2005
Cantor Fitzgerald / eSPEED, Chicago, IL, Vice President, Sales, 2000 – 2001
Chicago Board Of Trade, Chicago, IL, Senior Institutional Marketing Manager, 1998 – 2000
LFG, LLC, Chicago, IL, Derivative Portfolio Manager / CBOT Member, 1991 – 1998
Cooper Neff and Associates, Chicago, IL, Derivative Portfolio Manager / CBOT Member, 1987 - 1991
University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, Chicago, IL, Masters Business Administration
Miami University, Farmer School of Business, Oxford, OH, Bachelors of Science, Finance
FINRA Series 3, 4, 7, 24, 63
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