Our Team
Experience You Can Trust
At BirdRock, our team consists of experienced investment professionals with diverse backgrounds and a proven track record of managing wealth for both large pension funds and individual clients. We take pride in our clients’ trust and regularly meet with them to analyze the market landscape and adjust our investment strategies to mitigate risks and optimize returns.
By emphasizing research, asset allocation, and building well-diversified client portfolios, we strive to protect and grow our clients’ assets while minimizing volatility and downside risk. We are dedicated to building long-term relationships with our clients and helping them achieve their financial goals.
Founded in 2006, our company is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
President | Portfolio Manager
Steve Levy
Steve Levy serves as President and Chief Investment Officer at BirdRock and loves helping people solve their financial problems in order to achieve their financial goals. Steve began his career as a reinsurance analyst with JI Companies in Austin, Texas before joining Janus Capital in 1999. From 2001-2006, he served on the investment committee of Slaughter & Associates before opening BirdRock in 2006. Steve has been named a “Top Gun Money Manager of the Decade” and has managed BirdRock’s top-ranked Small Cap Value Fund since its inception in 2004.
Steve has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Spanish with an emphasis in International Relations from San Diego State University. He studied emerging markets, economics and U.S. foreign policy at the Universidad Colegio Anahuac in Guadalajara, Mexico. He is also an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA) from the College For Financial Planning and serves on the board of directors for the International Education Fund. Steve has lived in Austin since 1992 and enjoys standup paddle boarding and surfing in his free time.
Investment Advisor | Senior Client Relations Manager
Stephanie Boeke
Stephanie is the head of BirdRock client relations and has been with the firm since February of 2013. As an Accredited Asset Management Specialist and Investment Adviser Representative, she is an excellent problem solver and is passionate about making sure that every client feels well taken care of. She accomplishes this by listening to our client’s needs, helping them navigate major life events, and by taking a holistic approach to help them achieve their financial goals. Her background as a pharmaceutical sales representative and in account management provides her with a unique skill set that translates well to the BirdRock advisory family. Stephanie grew up in San Antonio and attended The University of Texas at Austin where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991. In her free time, Stephanie loves to travel, listen to live music, hike, and spend time with her family.
Managing Director | Assistant CIO
Christina Borger CDFA
Christina Borger serves as BirdRock’s Managing Director and has been with the firm since inception in 2006. She brings over 20 years of investment experience to BirdRock. She overseas all back office operations and leverages her strong portfolio operations expertise to assist both clients and portfolio managers. Prior to joining the firm, Christina was the Assistant Chief Investment Officer for the Public Employees Retirement System of Nevada and with the San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Fund as well as Janus Capital. She has an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University, an MBA from Georgetown University as well as being a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA). In her spare time, Christina pursues her passion for rocks, fossils and gems.
Senior Research Analyst
Jack Tamez
Jack Tamez is head of research and portfolio analysis for BirdRock. Jack’s primary responsibilities include tracking portfolio metrics, building quantitative financial models, evaluating current business trends and profitability, and leverage ratios.
Prior to joining BirdRock, Jack was a senior trader at Kershner Trading Group where he oversaw junior traders and developed strategies to balance risk and returns in varying market conditions over short timeframes. Jack earned a B.S. from the University of Texas in Applied Mathematics where he worked as an assistant for UT’s Center for High Energy Physics. He also served on the boards for both the University Investor’s Association and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Jack joined BirdRock in 2013 and loves numbers and traveling as often as possible.
Director Of Institutional Sales & Marketing
Aaron Soderberg
Aaron has over 20 years of experience in the investment industry and joined BirdRock Asset Management in 2015. Most recently, he was responsible for business development at Glovista Investments, focusing on the Midwest/Western region and serving clients within the institutional, public and RIA marketplace. Prior to Glovista, Aaron served as Senior Vice President of Parenteau Associates. He began his career in 1989 as an Account Executive with Minnesota based Equity Securities Trading Company, Inc., a regional clearing broker dealer and boutique investment banking firm. Prior to Parenteau, Aaron was a Managing Partner and founder of Portable Storage of MN, Inc. and Gold Aaro Capital Partners, LLC. Aaron received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota with major in International Relations, East Asian Studies.
Founding Partner | Strategic Partnerships
Gustavo Artaza
Gustavo brings over 30 years of executive leadership to BirdRock Asset Management. As a founding member of BirdRock and Managing Partner of BirdRock’s leadership team, Gustavo is responsible for developing and maintaining key client relationships including Family Office, Bank & Trust Co(s) as well as several private institutional client relationships. Mr. Artaza serves as Chair of BirdRock’s Executive Committee helping to oversee the firm’s strategic direction. Prior experience includes Founder and CEO of International Studies Abroad, one of the world’s largest study abroad providers. Mr. Artaza graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985. Gustavo is a serial entrepreneur and likes traveling internationally whenever he can.
Chief Financial Officer | Certified Public Accountant
Heather Justman CPA
Heather served as CFO for BirdRock from 2006-to 2022 and was responsible for the firm’s accounting and taxes which are now handled by an outside firm. Ms. Justman continues to serve as a member of BirdRock’s executive board bringing her diverse accounting background, specializing in real estate management and development, oil and gas property acquisition, asset management, and non-profit accounting, as well as partnership taxation. Ms. Justman received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. In her free time, Heather enjoys hiking, traveling, and listening to live music.
Client Service Specialist
Laura Baños Lugo
Laura Baños Lugo is a client service specialist for BirdRock. She graduated from Texas State University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a minor in Spanish. Laura is fluent in English and Spanish. She is passionate about Latin America and North American economics and politics. In college, she joined the Student Government Association, Model Organization of the Americas, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society and was published by Texas State University El Principio Magazine. She is currently pursuing the Series 65 License to support BirdRock’s goals and services. Likewise, her background and communication skills help BirdRock to strengthen its client relationships. In her free time, Laura enjoys learning languages, lap swimming and dancing.