Seelaus Inc. Leadership

Richard Seelaus
Founder and President

Rich began his distinguished career in the investment business at the Insurance Company of North America (INA) in Philadelphia. Starting in the investment department, he quickly rose through the ranks, serving initially as a processor, then as a municipal bond trader, and eventually as a portfolio manager. In 1977, Rich left INA and spent the next 7 years working for a variety of Wall Street broker dealers, including the American Securities Corporation.

In 1984, Rich founded R. Seelaus & Co., Inc. in Summit, New Jersey. With Rich at the helm, the firm has experienced phenomenal growth, starting out as an institutional municipal bond dealer, only to become the full-service broker dealer it is today. Along the way, Rich has worn many hats, serving as trader, salesman, compliance officer, FINRA designated financial principal and FINRA executive representative. R. Seelaus & Company currently has offices located in Summit, NJ and Boston, MA.

In 2003, Rich earned his Certified Financial Planner designation (CFP) and is currently an adjunct professor at Farleigh Dickenson University where he teaches an investment course for CFP certification. Locally, Rich has served his community as a member of the board of directors at the Oak Knoll School, the Summit Child Care Center and the Beacon Hill Club. Recently, he was elected by the FINRA member firms to serve a three-year term on the FINRADistrict 9 Committee.

Rich is a U.S. Army veteran and holds a BS in economics from Villanova University and a JD from the Delaware Law School at Widner University.

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Bernard Garruppo
Managing Director

Bernard Garruppo has the kind of well-rounded background that suits him perfectly in his role as our Managing Director. He started his career as a municipal bond trader for Moore, Schley, Cameron & Company in New York and gathered valuable experience in retail trading, sales support and customer service. To gain an even broader understanding of the bond market, Bernard joined W. H. Mell & Company where he focused on trading and selling bonds to money managers, trust banks, mutual funds and other financial institutions.

In 1993, R. Seelaus & Company recruited Bernard to manage our Municipal Bond Department. Having been a trader and seller of municipal bonds for both institutions and individuals, Bernard brings a wide range of experience that enables him to guide our fixed income customers to a superior risk-adverse return. In addition to a variety of FINRA licenses, he also holds life and health insurance designations. He has been a partner in the firm since 1995.

Bernard is a tireless worker, as evidenced by his off-time pursuits of training for, and successfully completing several marathons and Ironman Distance Triathlons. He's married, has three children and enjoys staying active in the community by serving as a volunteer athletic coach. He holds a B.S. degree in finance from Temple University.

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Karolina Pajdak
Chief Financial Officer

Karolina Pajdak was born and raised in Poland. She came to the United States as a child and as a dedicated and ambitious young woman quickly acclimated herself to her new environment. She graduated from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2001 and Masters in Business Administration in 2009. During her undergraduate studies she served as a president of the Rutgers University Polish Club.

Karolina joined R. Seelaus & Co., Inc in 2001 as an assistant office manager and excelled in her position handling finance and operations. Her diligence and great work attitude was recognized by being promoted first to Office Manager in 2003 then to Chief Financial Officer in 2008 where she currently manages the finances, compliance and office operations for the entire company. Karolina is licensed in life and health insurance through the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance and also has her series 27: Financial & Operations Principal.

Karolina enjoys traveling. She recognizes the need to serve the greater community and volunteers as a liturgy teacher at St. Bernard’s and Stanislaw Kostka Church in Plainfield, NJ. Karolina lives with her husband and their two children in Colonia NJ.

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Mike Cornell
Managing Director

Mike Cornell knows what it takes to rise to the top of the financial industry. His career path began at Air Cast Inc. as a management trainee where he gained valuable experience and fine-tuned his business skills. Mike's business acumen, work ethics and solid grasp of fundamentals did not go un-noticed.   In 1996, R. Seelaus & Co., Inc. recruited Mike to trade municipal bonds. He currently oversees all trading operations for the company and has been partner since 1997. Mike is a registered principal and a member of the Municipal Bond Club of NJ.

Raised in Connecticut, Mike Cornell is a graduate from Kent High School. He went on to graduate with a Bachelor's in Business from Skidmore College, class of 1992, where he also played Hockey. Mike is currently a volunteer hockey coach at the Beacon Hill Club in Summit, NJ and a member of the Skidmore College Athletic Hall of Fame.
Mike currently resides in Summit with his wife Athina and four daughters.

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Annie Seelaus
Managing Director

Annie brings a wealth of big firm experience to the trading desks at R.Seelaus & Co., Inc. She started her career in the training program at HSBC in London UK. Annie spent three rotations in various department of the bank and upon completion of her training accepted an offer from the Sterling bond desk in London to cover major institutional accounts. The bank recognized her diligence and hard work and she was promoted to Credit sales in NYC and finally to the emerging markets desk. During her time at HSBC she covered insurance companies, money managers and worldwide hedge funds.

After 9 years with the bank she joined R.Seelaus & Co, Inc. She has successfully brought her vast knowledge, trading ability and contacts to the taxable trading department at the firm. Starting in 2009 she has built a team of sales people and traders who are rapidly gaining a reputation for excellence from both institutional and individual investors. Annie grew up in Summit where she went to Oak Knoll School. She attended Princeton University where she played Division 1 ice hockey for the woman's team. She graduated in 2000 with a degree in History.

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