OUR TEAM
Larry J. Thompson
Larry J. Thompson – President and Senior Consultant. Mr. Thompson founded Larry Thompson & Associates in 1992 as an independent investment management consulting firm. He has over 22 years of consulting experience and is primarily responsible for strategic planning and extensive client support. He is a frequent speaker at national conferences related to the consulting and investment management industry and has been an instructor at various workshops both locally and nationally. He is a member of the Society of Pension Professionals and the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems (TEXPERS). Prior to forming Larry Thompson & Associates, Mr. Thompson worked for Merrill Lynch where he was active in the firm’s consulting division.
Mr. Thompson graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1975.
Alan Bergin, CFA
Alan Bergin, CFA – Vice President and Consultant. Mr. Bergin joined Larry Thompson & Associates in 2003 and has over ten years of consulting experience. Prior to joining LT&A, Mr. Bergin worked in the London and Washington, D.C. offices of Cambridge Associates, a large international investment consulting firm. Mr. Bergin’s primary responsibilities include client support, asset allocation analysis, and research and due diligence on money mangers, especially “alternative asset” managers. Mr. Bergin is a member of the Society of Pension Professionals, TEXPERS, the CFA Institute, and is a CFA Charter holder.
Mr. Bergin holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University with majors in Finance and International Business.
Matt DenBleyker, CAIA
Matt DenBleyker, CAIA – Director of Research. Mr. DenBleyker joined Larry Thompson & Associates in April of 2011. Prior to joining LT&A, Mr. DenBleyker had over 14 years of institutional investment experience which included working at two large public pension funds, the Teachers Retirement System of Texas and the Arizona State Retirement System. He also worked overseas in Taiwan and Hong Kong where he held various roles in hedge fund due diligence analysis, derivatives trading and equity research. Mr. DenBleyker’s primary responsibilities include leading the investment research and manager due diligence activities at LT&A for a diverse range of traditional and alternative investment strategies. Mr. DenBleyker also provides asset allocation analysis and portfolio construction for client portfolios.
Mr. DenBleyker received his BBA and MBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Arlington and attended the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He received the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and is a member of the CAIA Association.
Li Wang, CFA
Li Wang, CFA – Research Analyst. Ms. Wang joined Larry Thompson & Associates in August of 2005. Prior to joining LT&A, Ms. Wang had five years experience working for an international importer/exporter in China. She also worked part-time as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Kansas for two years and the University of Texas at Dallas for three years. Ms. Wang’s primary responsibilities include money manager research and capital markets analysis.
Ms. Wang holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Foreign Trade from Hunan University in China, a MBA in Finance with a minor in Information Systems from the University of Kansas, and a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas. Ms. Wang is a member of the CFA Institute and is a Charter holder.
Raynelle H. Thompson
Raynelle H. Thompson, CPA – Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. Ms. Thompson joined Larry Thompson & Associates in February of 2002. Ms. Thompson worked in public accounting for fifteen years with emphasis in tax planning and consulting, retirement planning and ERISA compliance. Ms. Thompson has oversight responsibility for all aspects of corporate finance and accounting, operations, human resources, and compliance.
Ms. Thompson earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana Tech University in Business Administration.
Claire Nguyen
Claire Nguyen -Research Associate. Ms. Nguyen joined Larry Thompson & Associates in September of 2011. Prior to joining LT&A, Ms. Nguyen worked in the non-profit sector leading employment and weatherization projects. She also had experience teaching Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics at Texas Tech University while completing her graduate studies there. Ms. Nguyen's primary responsibilities include performance measurement and reporting. She also assists in ongoing research projects for the firm.
Ms. Nguyen received her B.A. in International Economics and Finance from Austin College at Sherman, and an M.A. in Economics from Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
Paula Empkey
Paula Empkey-Office Manager. Ms. Empkey joined Larry Thompson & Associates, in April of 2009. With 15 years of experience, Ms. Empkey previously worked the retail side of the investment industry as an Operations Manager. Ms. Empkey is responsible for all aspects of client servicing and office management for our firm.
Ms. Empkey earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Tarleton State University with a double major in General Business and Office Administration.