Five Questions With: Anthony Criscuolo, Senior Client Service Manager and Chief Investment Officer
Anthony joined Palisades Hudson in 2008 and has been a client service manager since 2011. As CIO, he leads the firm’s investment committee, which oversees more than $1.3 billion in client assets, and oversees all aspects of investment strategy, portfolio management, due diligence and manager selection. Anthony began his career in Palisades Hudson’s Florida office and has been based in Atlanta since 2018.
Maggie, photo courtesy Anthony Criscuolo
1. If you have a pet, what kind? What is their name and how long have you had them?
After years of wanting a family dog, my family added Maggie to our life in summer 2021. Maggie is a fun-loving golden retriever who loves playing with our three kids out in the yard, or even a game of hide-and-seek in the house. She started as a 9-pound puppy and quickly grew into an 80-pound beast capable of tackling our kids while they play football. We’re still working on proper dog-walking etiquette and the importance of not chasing every squirrel you see. In spite of the endless shedding, she has been a wonderful addition to our family.
2. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read recently?
I just finished the book “Big Potential” by Shawn Achor. The book discusses how we can achieve great things by focusing on a positive, team-oriented culture (a great reinforcement of our culture at Palisades Hudson). The main point is that if we are too focused on our individual successes, we can really only achieve “small potential,” but we can achieve “big potential” by working with others as an empowered and engaged team player. It was a great management book, but it also offered a wonderful message on how to build and maintain a positive psychology and how to live a more fulfilling and successful life.
3. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
photo courtesy Anthony Criscuolo
As a child growing up in Southeast Florida, I loved being out on the ocean, scuba diving and fishing. Some of my fondest memories were being out on the boat with my father and brother, including a few trips to the Bahamas. This led to my first career aspiration: to be an oceanographer. My love of finance and investing came later — I was around 17 when I attended the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. My uncle lives in Omaha and is a big value-investing guru; he invited me and my brother to attend the meeting. Like many others, I found Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger to be inspirational, and I focused my career goals toward finance and investing. A career in the office and working with clients turns out to be much more conducive to family life than living on a boat for months at a time.
4. Do you have a talent totally unrelated to your work?
I started learning the guitar in high school and kept at it as a hobby through college. Life and kids happened, and my guitar collected dust for over a decade. During the COVID-19 lockdown, guitar became my “COVID hobby.” I re-taught myself all that I had forgotten and quickly surpassed the skill level of my previous peak. I’m by no means ready to join a band, but I would likely be considered something of an advanced beginner. I’m not searching for music stardom anyway — it’s just a great way to relax and focus on something creative. Every now and then, my wife even takes out her clarinet and plays along. (She was a star in her high school marching band and loves to claim her dominance as the true musician of the family.) But the kids think the guitar is cooler, so I have more fans!
5. If you’re a sports fan, what teams have your loyalty?
As a graduate of the University of Florida, I am a proud fan of the Gators! I’m an avid follower of college football and love watching the SEC games on Saturdays. I am also a big fan of the NFL. I root for the Miami Dolphins, and, in a nod to my parents’ hometown, I also cheer for the Chicago Bears.
