Our Team
David Bahr
Managing Director
David Bahr joined BEMCO in 2018, following his time at the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles, where he focused on public markets. Previously, he was with Casey Family Programs and the University of Washington Investment Management Company (UWINCO) in Seattle. David graduated with a B.A. in Economics and English from the University of Washington and is a CFA charterholder.
Valerie Dailey
Executive & Administrative Assistant
Valerie Dailey rejoined BEMCO in 2026 as a part-time Executive & Administrative Assistant. Valerie was previously with BEMCO from 2021 to 2022 in an office management and executive support role. Prior to BEMCO, Valerie worked in the financial industry at Seven Post Private Investment, in event management with Laurie Arons Special Events, and in healthcare marketing with CareLinx.
Justin Fligstein
Investment Associate
Justin Fligstein joined BEMCO in 2025 after working at Cambridge Associates in the Endowments & Foundations practice, most recently as a Senior Investment Associate. Justin graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Music from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Melody Ing
Managing Director
Melody Ing joined BEMCO in 2018 after several years at Hall Capital Partners, where she had portfolio responsibilities in absolute return, fixed income, and real assets. Melody was formerly at Clearwater Capital Partners in Hong Kong, covering Asian distressed debt. She began her career at Goldman Sachs in San Francisco in the Private Wealth Management division and spent a number of years in the Special Situations Group in London. Melody earned her B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University and her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Catherine Nguyen
Managing Director of Operations
Catherine Nguyen joined BEMCO in 2017. Previously, she spent four years at Top Tier Capital Partners, LLC, a venture capital-focused fund of funds, most recently as Fund Controller. Earlier in her career, she was a Senior Associate in KPMG LLP’s audit practice, working primarily in commercial banking. Catherine earned a B.A. in Business Economics with an Accounting Emphasis from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a CFA charterholder and a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
Taylor Hanson Rhoads
Senior Operations Analyst
Taylor Hanson Rhoads joined BEMCO in 2021. Prior to BEMCO, Taylor was an Associate at Vestor Capital, where she was responsible for managing private client investment portfolios, facilitating account operations, and directing new technology integrations. Previously, she was a Senior Associate in AllianceBernstein’s private wealth management group. Taylor graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Maddie Wuelfing Rich
Investment Associate
Maddie Wuelfing Rich joined BEMCO in 2024 after serving as a Manager of Strategic Finance and Corporate Development at ZoomInfo Technologies. Maddie began her career at Macquarie Capital in New York, where she worked in the investment banking division covering technology, media, and telecommunications. Maddie graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Yale University.
Tarek Saghir
President & Chief Investment Officer
Tarek Saghir joined BEMCO in 2026. Prior to BEMCO, he served as Chief Investment Officer of Brandeis University. Previously, he was a Principal at GroveStreet, where he focused on fund investments and co-investments across buyouts, growth equity, and venture capital. Earlier in his career, Tarek worked at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in public markets and at McKinsey & Company as a consultant. Tarek earned a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto, where he was a National Scholar, a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. He is a member of the New York State Bar.
Alistair Thistlethwaite
Managing Director
Alistair Thistlethwaite joined BEMCO in 2024 after 14 years at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he led investments across public markets, hedge funds, and real assets. Alistair began his career with HSBC in London, focusing on debt capital markets. Alistair earned a B.A. (First Class Honors) in Economics from Durham University in the UK and an M.A. in Finance from the Robert Day School at Claremont McKenna College. He is also a CFA charterholder.