Gavin Hutchins

Associate Research Analyst

Years at Punch:

<1

Years in the Industry:

<1

Gavin joined Punch & Associates in February 2026 as an Associate Research Analyst on the Investment team after completing two internships during the summers of 2024 and 2025. He focuses on analyzing small, publicly listed companies with the goal of understanding the firms’ history, economics, and management teams.

Gavin graduated Magna Cum Laude with high distinction from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Accounting. At the University, he participated in the Value Investing Club and David S. Kidwell Funds Enterprise. In his free time, Gavin enjoys playing and watching sports, spending time with family, and reading.

Howard Punch

Chief Investment Officer

Years at Punch:

24

Years in the Industry:

42

Firm Activities:
  • Board of Directors, Chair
  • Charitable Giving Committee
  • Investment Committee, Chair
  • Portfolio Manager

Howard directs all research and investment initiatives at Punch & Associates. Howard honed his investment management skills the old fashioned way: by making a lot of mistakes. Starting his career in the early '80s at Merrill Lynch in New York City and then in Minneapolis, it was normal practice to call clients with one stock at a time, state the case for owning it and hope for the best. Win, lose, or draw, each pick would have to be revisited with each client (talk about transparency!). The end result was a deep respect for risk, a large dose of humility, and a risk-averse investment approach that anticipates what could go wrong before fantasizing about what could go right. After spending nearly 19 years at Merrill Lynch, Howard started Punch & Associates in 2002.

A hopeless research addict and devout student of behavioral finance, Howard actively researches market anomalies and inefficiencies. Howard resides in Eagan, Minnesota with his wife, Julie. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Carleton College, enjoys hockey, golf, and believes the Vikings will have the opportunity to lose their fifth Superbowl before he dies.

Sam Sheldon, CFA

Senior Research Analyst

Years at Punch:

9

Years in the Industry:

9

Firm Activities:
  • Compliance Committee

Sam Sheldon joined Punch & Associates in 2016 and serves as an investment research analyst. He focuses on discovering and analyzing small and microcap companies, with a passion for understanding the story behind the business. In addition to his research responsibilities, Sam oversees the firm’s internship program.

Sam earned his BA in Financial Management from the University of St. Thomas, where he served as President of the Investment Club, and he is a CFA® charterholder.

Outside of work, Sam enjoys spending time on White Bear Lake, restoring his 1958 boat, cheering on the Green Bay Packers, and getting out for the occasional round of golf. He lives in Lake Elmo with his wife, Taylor.

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

Carri Hochstetler

Reconciliation Specialist

Years at Punch:

<1

Years of Professional Experience:

22

 

Carri joined Punch & Associates in August 2025 as a Reconciliation Specialist. Carri brings a decade of reconciliation experience to our team to monitor our data across several platforms to ensure effective data management and integrity.

She has a Business Administration degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude. In her free time, she enjoys going on cruises, riding motorcycles, spending time with her family, and playing with her pugs.

Heather Rezab

Client Specialist, Wealth Strategies Group

Years at Punch:

<1

Years in the Industry:

13

 

Heather joined Punch in August 2025. She has worked in the business for 13 years. Most recently she worked as a Senior Client Relationship Assistant at a large brokerage firm. She assists in account opening, money movement and general account maintenance. She enjoys connecting directly with clients and learning about their financial needs and goals.

Heather graduated from the University of Minnesota Morris, with degrees in English and Spanish. She currently lives in Champlin with her husband, John and two sons. When she is not at work, she enjoys snuggling with her Sheepadoodle, Bella, and taking her to the dog park, working on embroidery projects, reading, camping, adventuring with her family, and watching all her favorite Minnesota sports teams.

Sam Ludzack, CFA

Associate Advisor

Years at Punch:

1

Years in the Industry:

3

Firm Activities:
  • Traveling
  • Fitness
  • Packers Football

Sam joined Punch & Associates in December 2024 as an Associate Advisor. Prior to his current position, he worked as the Director of Investments at a local wealth management firm. As a member of the Wealth Strategies Group, Sam enjoys simplifying complex financial concepts for clients.

Sam is a CFA® charterholder and graduated from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a concentration in wealth management.

Sam grew up in Shakopee, Minnesota, and now lives there with his wife and son. He likes to be active in his free time by lifting weights, going for runs, or an occasional game of pickleball. Sam is an avid Green Bay Packer fan and tries to go to a game every year.

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

Maggie Green, JD

Associate Advisor

Years at Punch:

1

Years in the Industry:

13

Firm Activities:
  • Coaching
  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Family

Maggie Green joined Punch & Associates in December 2024 as an Associate Advisor. Maggie engages with clients on wealth management topics, drawing on her experience practicing law in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, real estate, corporate entity formation, charitable giving, and tax planning.

Maggie previously owned her own law firm assisting clients with estate planning and probate administration. She was the co-founder of a popular and collaborative legal blog that served as a reference for clients and professionals alike. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Theology and earned her J.D. from the University of St. Thomas.

In her free time, Maggie enjoys cheering on her son’s hockey team and coaching her daughters’ soccer and volleyball teams, playing tennis or golf, getting lost in a good book, and spending time outdoors with her family. She lives in Edina with her husband, Ryan, and their four children. When asked to join a game of pickle or paddle ball, she will happily comply, but tennis will always be her first choice.

Kevin Robertson, CFA

Director of Institutional Relationships

Years at Punch:

1

Years in the Industry:

18

Personal Interests:
  • Golfing
  • Skiing
  • Yardwork
  • Coaching Youth Sports

As the Director of Institutional Relationships, Kevin is responsible for broadening our presence in the institutional market. He prides himself on taking a collaborative approach with clients, serving as an informational resource on behalf of our investment team. Kevin joined Punch in June 2024, and he brings almost 20 years of investment experience to the firm. He regularly travels throughout the country to ensure our clients always have the communication and resources they need.

Kevin is a CFA® charterholder and graduated from Trinity College with a B.A. in Political Science, where he was a member of their NESCAC championship football team. He lives in Hingham, Massachusetts with his wife, Amanda, and their three young children. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys golfing, skiing, and coaching his kids’ various sports teams.

 

 

CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

Khalil Harris, CFP®

Associate Advisor, Wealth Strategies Group

Years at Punch:

2

Years in the Industry:

6

Khalil joined Punch & Associates in March 2024 as an Associate Advisor. Prior to his current position, he honed his skills at two wealth management firms by working closely with clients to understand their goals and presenting solutions to achieve them. As a member of our Wealth Strategies Group, he is excited to assist clients in all aspects of financial planning.

Khalil graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in Financial Management and a minor in Accounting. Khalil chose financial planning as an emphasis area during college and gained early exposure to the nuances of financial advising. In the summer of 2022, he passed his Certified Financial PlannerTM exam, and after completing the CFP Board’s professional experience requirement, he became certified in the summer of 2023.

Khalil grew up in Illinois and North Carolina, and now lives in Chanhassen. He enjoys working out early in the morning and rooting for all the Chicago (especially the Bears) and Clemson sports teams in his free time.

Chris Verbracken

Director of Technology

Years at Punch:

2

Years of Professional Experience:

14

Personal Interests:
  • Family Time
  • Fantasy Football
  • Playing Board Games
  • Watching the Packers

Chris Verbracken joins our team as Director of Technology. Chris has spent the last decade helping customers transform their business processes through the use of technology. Over the years, Chris has led dozens of successful implementations with customers big and small, and he holds over 20 professional certifications. He looks forward to leveraging his experience to help take the firm to the next level in our use of technology, with the aim of improving both employee and client experiences. Chris will also serve as the firm’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), ensuring our systems and data are secure. He will also work with our Chief Compliance Officer to ensure we are compliant with accountabilities set forth by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Chris has a B.A. and M.A. in Theological Studies. He resides in Ramsey with his wife and three daughters, and in his free time he enjoys watching football (Go Packers!) and playing board games.

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