John W. Heilshorn joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which John was a partner at and a co-founder.

Since 1984, John has focused his expertise on supporting middle market private and public companies. John has advised hundreds of client companies on financial disclosure, market intelligence, strategic and crisis communications, investment thesis formation, analyst and shareholder relations, accessing the capital markets, and financial media relations. Drawing on his extensive relationships with investing institutions and investment banks, as well as deep knowledge of c-suite pressures and board level priorities, John advises a growing portfolio of clients in a wide variety of industries with present client concentrations in the technology, business services, retail, consumer goods, industrial and healthcare sectors. John began his career as a registered investment advisor for Merrill Lynch.

John holds a BA in Government from Lawrence University.

Deborah joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2024 through the acquisition of Kei Advisors, which she founded in 2000.

Deborah is a proven entrepreneurial business leader with more than thirty years’ experience in investor relations, capital markets, marketing, strategic planning, leadership coaching and management. She has a demonstrated track record of success with communication deployments of successful strategic shifts, market perception alignments, crisis management, and capital raises. She is committed to excellence in managing market perceptions for organizational change. With a proven ability to instill a common vision and understanding of strategic direction and opportunities of her client companies, she builds respect and credibility for management with investors and analysts. Her experience base comes from both the corporate perspective, while leading the investor relations program at National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG), a diversified energy company, and American Precision Industries Inc. (formerly NYSE: APR), a diversified manufacturing company.

Deborah’s breadth of experience and dynamic energy combine to provide counsel to executive management and Boards of Directors in investor relations initiatives and capital markets positioning. Known for strategic foresight, she coaches executives through challenging issues and provides crisis planning and executive team development with creativity and ingenuity.
Deborah is also an independent leadership coach, working with up-and-coming leaders, executive management and Boards of Directors to assess individual personality and skills using various tools including 360s, behavioral interviews and Hogan assessments. She aids in the understanding of an individual’s impact on the success of an organization or team, develops plans to drive excellence in their performance and helps in the discovery of how change can unleash their full potential.

Currently she serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Allegany Insurance Group, where she is a member of the Investment Committee. She also is a member of NIRI: The Association of Investor Relations Investor Relations Charter (IRC) Certification Counsel. Deborah is a former member of the Board of Directors of NIRI and past President of the NIRI Virtual Chapter. In her spare time, Deborah also serves on the Board of Directors of Combat Wounded Veterans Challenge.

Deborah is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where she earned her BS in General Engineering and served five years active duty and two years inactive in the United States Army. She received her MBA from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.

Bruce joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which he joined in 1997.

Bruce is a seasoned investor relations professional who has worked in the healthcare sector since 1990, primarily in consulting settings. He leads the firm’s global medical practice, having served more than 500 biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics and services companies. His clients range from development-stage to members of the S&P 500, Fortune 500 and NASDAQ 100, working in most every disease category and trading on all U.S. and several international stock exchanges.

Bruce has provided counsel to C-suite executives on all aspects of investor relations with a particular focus on high-impact/high-visibility events including M&A transactions, clinical trial readouts, regulatory actions, crisis support, executive transitions and shifts in corporate strategy. He enjoys extensive relationships within the business and financial communities. His clients have raised more than $5 billion via equity and convertible debt issuances, royalty monetization and asset sales, including nearly two dozen IPOs, reverse mergers and de-SPAC transactions.

Bruce has won numerous industry awards and has lectured at NASDAQ, NIRI and Up-Listing events. He holds an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business, a BS from the Carlson School of Management and a BA from the University of Minnesota.

Jody Burfening joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which she joined in 1997.

Jody leads a team of account professionals who specialize in executing investor relations programs for clients spanning the technology, diversified industrials, clean tech, aerospace/defense and consumer goods sectors. With over three decades of investor relations experience, Jody has advised clients through capital markets cycles and evolving disclosure rules and communications best practices. Jody has designed the strategy for and managed the implementation of a broad range of investor relations programs, helping both under-discovered and newly public companies gain Street sponsorship and achieve their capital markets objectives. Also, she has advised clients on the full spectrum of strategic and crises communications issues, including activism and unsolicited buy-out offers, bankruptcies, plant closings, C-level transitions and product defects. She brings to investor relations a background in corporate finance, equity valuations and mergers and acquisitions.

Jody earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, she holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago and a BA from Wheaton College.

Kirsten F. Chapman joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which she joined in 1999.

Since 2004, she has led a team of account professionals who specialize in working with small-cap public and private companies in a variety of industries including software and services, cleantech and traditional industrial, consumer products and telecommunications. She believes the core to improving communications begins with a thorough understanding of the business followed by organized programming and proactive implementation. Specializing in message development, communication and investor interaction, Kirsten helps clients in all stages of the business cycle navigate Wall Street. She has guided over 75 companies through a range of IR activities including quarter end reporting, non-deal roadshows, acquisitions, management changes, catalyst events, turnarounds, product launches, IPOs, follow-on transactions and more.

Prior to LHA, Kirsten served as the Head of Investor Relations at Glenborough Realty Trust, which at the time was a publicly traded $2 billion market-cap real estate investment trust. Responsible for all investor relations activities, she focused on creating and disseminating a consistent company message as well as targeting and managing institutional investors. Prior to Glenborough, Kirsten worked in New York for 10 years with J.P. Morgan Investment Management and Chase Manhattan Bank, where she honed her accounting, financial analysis and client relationships skills.

Kirsten earned an MBA from Fordham Graduate School of Business while working and received her BS from Lehigh University. A member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), she has served on the San Francisco chapter’s board. In 2006, she led the IR team that won a PRSA Silver Anvil Award for Improved Connections to Investors.

Craig joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2024 through the acquisition of Kei Advisors, which he joined in 2007.

Craig brings over 25 years of experience as a seasoned financial professional with experience in investor relations, financial services, and product management. Craig develops and implements strategic investor relations programs for companies across various industries, including industrials, technology, consumer, aerospace & defense, and financial services.

Specializing in customized IR services, Craig helps small-cap and micro-cap companies optimize their market value.  He is highly skilled in managing investor relationships and tactical IR activities, with expertise in transactional and crisis communications.  Known for his analytical acumen and client-focused strategies, he possesses an extensive background in investor relations, financial analysis, and market research, making him a vital asset to both his clients and the broader financial community.

Prior to his time at Kei Advisors, Craig built a strong foundation at M&T Bank, where he served as Assistant Vice President, Product Manager.  In this role, he managed several commercial products, oversaw new product implementation, and conducted comprehensive industry and market research.  Earlier in his career, Craig was a Mutual Fund Trader in M&T’s Investment Group, where he was responsible for the trading of mutual funds and money markets for the bank’s trust division.

Craig holds an MBA from St. Bonaventure University and a BA in Business Economics from the State University of New York at Potsdam.

Carolyn joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which she joined in 2004. 

Carolyn brings over two decades of experience, leveraging her background as a sell-side analyst and an investor relations advisor. She possesses deep expertise in counseling public companies on their IR program strategy, formation, implementation, and communication of major corporate events, including significant management changes, emergence from bankruptcy, rebuilding/relaunching corporate identity, facilities closures, transformational M&A, and capital markets transactions. She has worked with clients in the industrial/manufacturing, cleantech, building products, exchange, telecommunications/media/technology, AdTech and fintech sectors. She led a comprehensive perception study and repositioning exercise for NASDAQ and was a co-author of the NASDAQ OMX Going Public Guide for North American Companies.

Prior to joining LHA, Carolyn was an equity research analyst at Robertson Stephens, a boutique investment bank, where she applied a return on invested capital (ROIC) and discounted cash flow (DCF) focus to analyze catalog, retail, and e-commerce channels in the hard and soft-goods retail sectors. She began her career at Prudential-Bache Securities as an equity coordinator on the firm’s equity research desk.

Carolyn earned a BA from Rutgers University where she participated in the Henry Rutgers General Honors Program and is a CFA® charterholder.

David joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which he joined in 1999.

David brings over three decades of experience as a seasoned investor relations professional and finance expert with a diverse career. David has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor at Alliance, where he leads investor relations programs, develops communication strategies, and manages accounts across multiple industries. His expertise covers investor relations, crisis communications, capital planning, media production, and team supervision. Prior to LHA, he was senior vice president of research for Morrison & Frazier LLC, a San Francisco Bay area money manager, where he served as co-portfolio manager and equity analyst. 

With experience in financial modeling, business planning, and benchmarking, David has helped dozens of companies navigate complex challenges, from earnings shortfalls to acquisitions and product delays. As a co-founder of Iridium Consulting Group and Edge Media Inc., he also has extensive experience in entrepreneurship, capital formation, and content aggregation. 

David earned his MBA from Indiana University and his BM in Jazz Studies from Indiana University and is a CFA® charterholder.

Harriet joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which she joined in 1999.

Harriet brings over two decades of IR experience, managing comprehensive IR programs for clients in a wide variety of sectors, including consumer goods, industrial/manufacturing, technology, transportation and business services. Her expert counsel and fresh strategic and tactical ideas – personalized to fit each client’s business fundamentals and corporate culture – have enabled clients to enhance their messaging, expand the scope and caliber of their shareholder base, and build their sell-side coverage. Client longevity is a hallmark of Harriet’s contributions to the firm; among her clients, several have been IR clients for more than 10 years.

Harriet’s background also includes 20 years of corporate communications, consulting, and Wall Street experience. Before entering the field of IR, she was a Vice President at Kidder, Peabody & Co., first specializing in federal finance and then moving into corporate public relations, and at Oppenheimer & Co., where she focused on real estate finance.

Harriet earned an MBA from Fordham Graduate School of Business, an MA with honors in Urban Affairs and Policy Analysis from The New School for Social Research, and a BA with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Jody Cain joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which she originally joined in 2001.

Jody is an accomplished senior-level communications professional with over three decades of experience, including more than two decades on the healthcare team. She is a strong strategic consultant with knowledge covering a broad range of communications issues, including corporate positioning, financial guidance, capital markets strategies and transactions, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism, management changes, licensing and partnership agreements and product recalls. Clients benefit from a wealth of investor relations, crisis and transactional expertise from her years at leading investor relations and crisis communications agencies. Jody brings an additional aspect to her client counsel through experience leading an in-house corporate communications department. She works closely with senior management teams to develop messages that resonate with investors and identifies the best avenues to communicate these messages to targeted audiences.

Jody has been a speaker on investor and media relations at SEC Institute and International Business Forum conferences, as well as on investing in biotechnology at the UCLA/MIT Venture Forum.

She holds BA and MA degrees in Communications from the University of Washington.

Yvonne Briggs joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which she joined the healthcare practice in 2019.

Yvonne brings over two decades of experience, leveraging her background in investment banking and on the corporate side to assist healthcare clients with their communication and growth strategies. She has experience providing financial guidance and crafting corporate messaging for transactional situations.

Yvonne began her career in the equity research departments of Dean Witter and Smith Barney before earning her MBA. She then spent nearly a decade on Wall Street as an investment banker at Oppenheimer & Co., rising from Associate to Vice President and executing capital raising and M&A transactions for middle-market healthcare companies. Yvonne was subsequently hired by her client IRIS International, a publicly traded medical device company. At IRIS International, she focused on corporate development including investor relations, acquisitions, and strategy, through the company’s acquisition by Danaher Corp. During her tenure, IRIS International grew from $30 million to $130 million in annual revenues, with significantly enhanced exposure to the Street. Most recently, she worked for SilverGens, an early-stage digital health company as head of its corporate development efforts, focusing on strategy, product development, partnerships, and capital raising.

Yvonne holds an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a BS in Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

Tirth joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which he joined in 2021.

Tirth brings over a decade of IR experience, specializing in corporate communications and capital markets strategy for healthcare companies. He started his investor relations career in 2013 and has guided private and public companies in various healthcare sub-sectors to accomplish their capital markets goals including IPO support, fundraising strategy, scenario planning, crisis communications, and more. Building upon an academic background in the life sciences, Tirth understands scientific and structural complexities within healthcare to better position companies to capture interest from investors and other stakeholder groups and differentiate them from the competition.

With sector expertise across healthcare, Tirth has guided companies in biotech, pharmaceuticals, MedTech, diagnostics, telehealth and more. With a strong track record of crafting compelling corporate messaging, building meaningful relationships with the financial community, and executing effective IR strategies, Tirth helps companies effectively communicate their value proposition and navigate the capital markets landscape.

Prior to joining LHA, Tirth was Director of Investor Relations at BioDelivery Sciences (NASDAQ: BDSI), where he led the development of their IR program. Earlier in his career, he was a senior professional in the New York offices of Tiberend Strategic Advisors and Edison Group, where he specialized in healthcare-focused investor relations.

Tirth holds a BA in Mathematics from Emory University and an MA in Motor Learning & Movement Disorders from Columbia University.

Lianna joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which she joined in 2018.

Lianna Santiago brings over 6 years of experience in administration experience in Investor Relations. In her short tenure at LHA, she has been twice promoted—first to Account Coordinator and then to Associate Account Executive—demonstrating her commitment and capability in the field.

Lianna is a dedicated and resourceful professional, excels in effective communication and operational support, with a proven ability to manage scheduling, conduct thorough research, and ensure smooth daily operations. Her strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail make her a valuable asset in enhancing stakeholder relationships and optimizing team performance. Passionate about fostering collaboration and driving efficiency, Lianna is committed to delivering exceptional results in every endeavor.

Kaitlin joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2023 through the acquisition of LHA, which she joined in 2021.

Kaitlin brings a decade of experience in administrative functions, with the last three being in investor relations. From managing complex schedules and organizing high-stakes meetings to streamlining communication and enhancing operational efficiency, Kaitlin’s strengths lie in her ability to assess any situation quickly, efficiently, and analytically to come to the most advantageous solution.

Kaitlin graduated from Hofstra University with a dual bachelor’s in criminology and Sociology and a paralegal certificate.

Munira joined Alliance Advisors Investor Relations in 2024 through the acquisition of Kei Advisors, which she joined in 2022.

Munira is a versatile and dynamic Investor Relations Associate with a diverse professional background spanning multiple industries. She leverages her multifaceted experience to create compelling communication tools that effectively convey our clients’ value proposition to stakeholders.

Prior to joining the investor relations field, Munira honed her analytical and interpersonal skills through roles in non-profit economic programs, logistics accounting, and international hospitality. Her time in the sports industry, focusing on operations and management, further developed her ability to thrive in fast-paced environments and manage complex stakeholder relationships. Munira’s unique blend of financial knowledge, cross-cultural communication skills, and operational expertise makes her an invaluable asset in bridging the gap between the company and its investors.

Munira holds a BA in Economics from the University at Buffalo and has completed coursework at Syracuse University. Munira is also a member of the National Investor Relations Institute.