Our Team
Jonathan Spitzer
CEO
Jonathan founded CTFN to provide high-quality financial and regulatory intelligence. He previously worked as a merger-arbitrage analyst and then as a portfolio manager at Arnhold and S Bleichroeder (First Eagle Investment Management). He holds a BA from Yale College (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and an MBA from Columbia Business School (Beta Gamma Sigma).
Melissa Walker
General counsel & director of compliance
Melissa is a lawyer with experience in securities-litigation matters including insider trading, market timing, the Investment Company Act of 1940, earnings management and corporate governance. She previously worked at Ropes & Gray in Washington DC and New York. She holds a JD from George Washington University Law School, as well as a BA in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Greg Falkowski
Director of finance and operations
Greg oversees CTFN’s day-to-day operations. He previously spent 15 years working in financial news and data at Mergermarket Group (Acuris) in New York. His experience includes developing data- management processes and systems, working with commercial teams on consultative account support, and hiring and supervising remote research teams. He holds a BA in finance from Wake Forest University.
Kara Sullivan
Director of engagement
Kara heads up sales, relationship management and marketing for CTFN. She previously spent seven years in sales and marketing for A & E Television Networks, and five years in account management at several advertising agencies in New York and Connecticut. She holds a BA in American studies from Smith College.
Deane McRobie
Senior reporter for Europe
Deane covers Europe for CTFN. He previously worked for Mergermarket Group (Acuris), writing for its Dealreporter and PaRR products, and as editor of its Activistmonitor product. He holds a BA in political science and East Asian language studies from McGill University.
Graham Riss
Lead analyst
Graham Riss runs CTFN’s research efforts. Since joining CTFN in 2021, he has grown into a full-time analyst, building the research department into a market-spanning panopticon. He has a thorough understanding of US and European financial markets, and in his spare time he enjoys analyzing pre-event situations and merger timelines. He holds a BS in finance from SCSU.
Diane Alter
Senior US antitrust and special-situations reporter
Diane has over a decade of experience sourcing scoops on M&A and other event-driven situations. She studied at Virginia Tech, Penn State and Brookdale College, before working on the NYSE floor and then at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. She has also earned Series 7 and 63 licenses. She recently returned to CTFN after two years at Dealreporter, covering mergers and antitrust, having previously spent six years with us in a similar role.
Ryan Lynch
DC Bureau Chief
Based in Washington DC, Ryan primarily covers regulation and mergers in the healthcare industry. He previously worked in healthcare administration and consulting. His entrepreneurial ventures have included litter cleanup and a platform for hotel reviews. As a journalist, his work has been featured in various outlets including the Financial Times and CNBC. He holds a BBA from Emory University and an MS in healthcare management from Georgetown University.
Robert W. Welkos
Senior FCC and public-utilities reporter
Based in Los Angeles, Bob covers utility, cable and banking deals, with a focus on the nuances of state regulatory processes. He spent 20 years reporting for the Los Angeles Times, during which time he shared in two Pulitzer Prizes. He also has experience as a correspondent for the Associated Press.
Samantha Tomaszczyk
Senior Reporter
Samantha covers global TMT, as well as UK and EU merger control. She most recently worked for S & P Global Market Intelligence as an M& A analyst covering the technology sector.She previously worked for Mergermarket Group(Acuris), writing for its Dealreporter and PaRR products.She began her career at MLex in Brussels, where she focused on telecoms regulation and trade disputes.
