Advisor | LS Opportunity Fund
Long Short Advisors LLC
Long Short Advisors, LLC (LSA) is an investment advisor that focuses on finding undiscovered, boutique investment strategies not readily available to the everyday investor. Our products give investors access to investment strategies through a mutual fund format that provides daily liquidity, low initial investment minimums, more portfolio transparency, lower fees, and access to what we believe are some of the best investment and hedge fund managers in the business. The LSA team has a combination of over 70 years of industry knowledge. We have tremendous experience in locating and finding undiscovered capacity constrained managers with a long- term track record and a significant personal investment in their strategies.
Sub-Advisor| LS Opportunity Fund
Prospector Partners, LLC
Prospector Partners (Prospector) is a Connecticut-based long/short equity investment management company founded in 1997. While LSOFX was established in 2010, the investment team at Prospector has been the sub-advisor of the fund since 2015 and has been operating a traditional long short equity hedge fund with a substantially similar investment objective since it's founding.
Team Members
Read more about the core team members below, or click Learn More for a full description of the entire team in our investor presentation.
Chief Executive Officer | Long Short Advisors
Matthew West, CIMA
Mr. West founded Long Short Advisors in 2010 and is the Chief Executive Officer of the firm. Mr. West founded the firm after identifying the need for investment and financial advisors to provide client access to hedge fund strategies and alternative investments without the lock-up periods, restrictions, and lack of liquidity so common in the industry. Mr. West has over 28 years of experience working in the wealth management business. Mr. West also founded a registered investment advisory firm in Philadelphia in 1994 and sold the firm in 2016 with over $750 million under management. Matthew received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Kutztown University, where he currently sits on the University Foundation Board and the Kutztown University Investment Committee. He also completed study at the Wharton School of Finance for the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), given by the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA).
Director of Operations | Long Short Advisors
Christine Taylor
Ms. Taylor is in charge of operations for the firm. Ms. Taylor collaborates closely with each department at Long Short Advisors and oversees internal operations related to client relations, business development and compliance. Ms. Taylor has worked in the investment industry for 15 years in many capacities with experience in marketing, client service, manager research, compliance, vendor management, operations and system administration. Ms. Taylor graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
Co-Portfolio Manager | LS Opportunity Fund
Kevin O'Brien, CFA
Mr. O’Brien has also been a portfolio manager at Prospector Partners since 2003 and Prospector Partners Asset Management, LLC (“PPAM”) since 2007. He also serves as Executive Vice President of Prospector Funds, Inc. Mr. O’Brien has been a portfolio manager or securities analyst for more than 30 years. In addition, from April 2003 through August 2005, Mr. O’Brien served as a Managing Director of White Mountains Advisors, LLC. From April 1996 through April 2003, Mr. O’Brien was an employee of Neuberger Berman, where he began as an investment analyst (1996-1999), served as Vice President (1999-2001), and Managing Director (2001-2003). Mr. O’Brien was responsible for following stocks in the financial services, consumer, and technology sectors. From 1991 through 1996, Mr. O’Brien was an employee of Alex, Brown & Sons, where he was an analyst following the financial services industry. His coverage universe included property-casualty insurance, specialty finance, asset management, and diversified financial services. Mr. O’Brien received a B.S. magna cum laude from Central Connecticut State University in 1986. Additionally, Mr. O’Brien received a Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1995.
Co-Portfolio Manager | LS Opportunity Fund
Jason Kish, CPA, CFA
Mr. Kish is a portfolio manager of the LS Opportunity Fund (LSOFX). Mr. joined Prospector Partners in December 1997. He also serves as a portfolio manager of Prospector Partners Asset Management, LLC (“PPAM”) and as an Executive Vice President of Prospector Funds, Inc. since 2013. He began as a junior analyst, covering all industries, eventually serving as the property-casualty analyst and became the Director of Research in 2010. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Kish worked as an auditor at Coopers & Lybrand, LLP in Hartford, CT. Mr. Kish received a B.S.B.A. from Providence College in 1995. He received his Certified Public Accountant designation in 2000 and his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2004.
Co-Portfolio Manager | LS Opportunity Fund
Steven Labbe, CFA
Mr. Labbe is a portfolio manager of the LS Opportunity Fund (LSOFX) and has been a portfolio manager or securities analyst for more than 25 years. Prior to joining Prospector Partners in 2012, Mr. Labbe was an analyst covering the insurance industry and gradually increased his coverage to asset managers, exchanges, and brokers. From 1996 to 2012, Mr. Labbe was employed as an analyst with Langen McAlenney, a division of Janney Montgomery Scott, covering the insurance industry. Mr. Labbe received a B.S. degree in Mathematics from Central Connecticut State University in December 1995. He received his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2001.
Managing Member | Prospector Partners
John Gillespie
Mr. Gillespie has been the managing member of Prospector Partners since 1997 and the managing member of Prospector Partners Asset Management, LLC (“PPAM”), the Advisor to Prospector Funds, Inc. since 2007. He served as a portfolio manager from 1997 through 2021. He also serves as Chairman and President of Prospector Funds, Inc., a registered investment company. Mr. Gillespie was a portfolio manager and securities analyst for more than 30 years. In addition, from 2002 to 2005, Mr. Gillespie served as non-executive Deputy Chairman of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (“White Mountains”), Chairman and President of White Mountains Advisors (known as OneBeacon Asset Management, Inc. prior to March 2003), the registered investment advisory subsidiary of White Mountains, and as an officer of various other subsidiaries of White Mountains. From 1986 through 1997, Mr. Gillespie was an employee of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. where he began as an investment analyst (1986-1987), served as an Assistant Vice President (1987-1988) and Vice President (1988-1997). At the end of Mr. Gillespie’s tenure at T. Rowe Price, Mr. Gillespie’s responsibilities included the management of assets of institutional investors, mutual funds and closed-end investment companies. Specifically, Mr. Gillespie was the chairman of the investment committee of the T. Rowe Price Growth Stock Fund from 1994 to April 30, 1996, and president of the New Age Media Fund from October 1993 until July 1997. From 1980 through 1984, Mr. Gillespie was a Senior Financial Analyst at Geico Corporation. Mr. Gillespie received a B.A. cum laude from Bates College in 1980 and an M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1986. In addition, Mr. Gillespie serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Bates College.