Claudiu joined Ashton Thomas Private Wealth in 2021 as Director of Fixed Income and Portfolio Manager. In 2022, he became Director of Investments and Trading. In this role, Claudiu leads the firm’s Asset Allocation Team and supports Ashton Thomas advisors and clients through technical research, market commentary, manager and investment due diligence, and oversight of trade desk functions.
Prior to joining Ashton Thomas, Claudiu was Senior Portfolio Trader with Voya Financial, where he covered multiple market sectors and contributed to the broker-dealer’s overall asset allocation strategy. Previously, he had an extensive career with Vanguard, primarily as a Senior Fixed Income Trader. He was an inaugural member of Vanguard’s Fixed Income Special Transactions team, where he focused on building customized fixed income solutions for high-visibility, ultra-high-net-worth clients of the firm. These portfolios often contained complex financial instruments, as well as tailored, sophisticated cash management strategies.
“Advisors who serve high-net-worth clients typically oversee complex investment portfolios,” says Claudiu. “There is usually a need for creative thinking and an experienced perspective when seeking solutions to match their specific mandates. This is what I enjoy doing most.”
Born and raised in Romania, Claudiu and his family emigrated to the United States in 1983, settling in the North Shore of the Chicago metropolitan area. The family relocated to Indianapolis during his teenage years, where he attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. Claudiu moved to the desert southwest for college at Arizona State University, graduating in 1999 with a degree in Finance and a minor in Economics and has remained in Arizona since.
Claudiu has been licensed as a real estate agent in Arizona for two decades, largely for personal investment purposes. He resides in a friendly north Scottsdale neighborhood where he has lived for some time. “It’s the kind of place where you know all your neighbors and they know you,” he says fondly. A former member of the Honeywell League (soccer), Claudiu enjoys watching and playing sports, as well as reading, swimming, and running. He also enjoys spending time with his seven-year-old niece, who is “way too smart for her own good.”
During the pandemic, Claudiu discovered a passion for cooking. “Since I couldn’t eat out during the lockdown, I decided to look for a selection of assorted recipes, find the necessary ingredients each week, and prepare dishes I hadn’t tried before.” He intends to keep up this newfound tradition for some time to come.
