Clemens Kownatzki

Dr. Clemens Kownatzki has been an executive in the financial services industry for well over two decades. His experience ranges from management positions in brokerage and treasury operations to advising corporate as well as retail clients with a focus on managing their risk effectively. He has also been an active investor in options and derivatives markets. Having lived and worked in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the U.S., his investments range from equity to international capital and currency markets. 

In 2010, he joined Pepperdine University as an adjunct professor of finance teaching financial risk management and derivatives to graduate students. Dr. Kownatzki’s primary research interest focuses on the important question of how risk and market volatility affects investment returns. 

As a passionate musician of many years, Dr. Kownatzki has a keen interest in supporting the arts and serving his community. He is on the board of the Pasadena Musical Theatre Corporation, a non-profit organization that supports and encourages students to embrace musical theatre for their personal growth. He also authored the book Money Music 101: Essential Finance Skills for Musicians, Artists & Creative Entrepreneurs. His book was the foundation for a personal finance class at LA College of Music. 

Dr. Kownatzki earned his PhD in Economics and Management from Claremont Graduate University. He also holds an MBA degree from the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University. He currently lives in Sierra Madre (near Pasadena) with his wife and two children. 

Education

Ph D, Claremont Graduate University, 2015.

Major: Finance / Economics and Management
Supporting Areas of Emphasis: Finance
Dissertation Title: Examination of implied volatility as a proxy for financial risk

MBA, Pepperdine University, 2000.

Major: PKE

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph D, Claremont Graduate University, 2015.

Major: Finance / Economics and Management
Supporting Areas of Emphasis: Finance
Dissertation Title: Examination of implied volatility as a proxy for financial risk

MBA, Pepperdine University, 2000.

Major: PKE

Academic, Military and Professional Positions

Academic

Adjunct Professor, PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, GRAZIADIO SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT. (2010 - Present).

Adjunct Professor, Claremont Graduate University. (September 1, 2016 - December 15, 2016).

Lecturer, CAL POLY POMONA. (September 2014 - June 2015).

Professional

Treasurer, THE PASADENA MUSICAL THEATRE CORPORATION. (2010 - December 31, 2015).

Founder & CEO, FX INVESTMENT STRATEGIES LLC. (2007 - 2010).

Licensures and Certifications

FINRA Series 65 License, FX Investment Strategies LLC. (December 15, 2007 - December 5, 2013).

Futures & Options Representative (equivalent to Series 3 license), Henyep Investment (UK) Ltd. (October 1, 1996 - November 1, 2002).

Securities Representative (equivalent to Series 7 license), Henyep Investment (UK) Ltd. (October 1, 1995 - November 1, 2002).

Professional Memberships

Financial Management Association. (January 27, 2016 - Present).

Member, German American Business Association. (January 29, 2012 - Present).

Development Activities Attended

Workshop, "Options Spreads - Pasadena, CA," Options Industry Council, Pasadena, CA. (September 19, 2017).

Workshop, "Income with Portfolio Overwriting," Options Industry Council, Chicago, IL. (April 12, 2017).

Attended Conference, "FMA Annual Conference," FMA International, Las Vegas, Nevada. (October 20, 2016 - October 22, 2016).

Attended Conference, "Inflation, Disinflation - Policy Responses and Markets," Citadel School of Business, Charleston, South Carolina. (March 10, 2016 - March 11, 2016).

Workshop, "Bloomberg refresher/training," Bloomberg, Los Angeles, CA. (November 17, 2015).

Workshop, "Fixed Income Market Outlook workshop," Charles Schwab, Pasadena, CA. (November 3, 2015).

Seminar, "Volatility Seminar," The Options Industry Council, Los Angeles, CA. (October 6, 2015).

Seminar, "Managing Volatility on Market Pullbacks," Tradespoon. (October 5, 2015).

Seminar, "How to Use Options Strategies Designed to Generate Income," TD Ameritrade. (July 15, 2015).

Seminar, "Options Strategies for Volatile Markets," TD Ameritrade. (July 15, 2015).

Seminar, "Creating an Equity Income Stream for Retirement," TD Ameritrade. (March 25, 2015).

Seminar, "Fixed-Income Strategies Before and After Retirement," TD Ameritrade. (March 25, 2015).

Teaching Experience

Pepperdine University

FINC 614, 2 courses.
FINC 625, 1 course.
FINC 626, 5 courses.
FINC 627, 4 courses.
FINC 634, 29 courses.
FINC 640, 5 courses.
GSBM 698, 4 courses.
MBAA 663, 2 courses.
MBAA 673, 2 courses.

Non-Credit Instruction

Seminar, LA College of Music, 15 participants. (October 5, 2017 - December 7, 2017).

Seminar, LA College of Music, 12 participants. (July 6, 2017 - September 14, 2017).

Seminar, LA College of Music, 42 participants. (April 9, 2017 - June 21, 2017).

Seminar, LA College of Music, 12 participants. (July 6, 2016 - September 16, 2016).

Seminar, LA College of Music, 41 participants. (April 14, 2016 - June 23, 2016).

Seminar, LA College of Music, 7 participants. (October 9, 2015 - December 11, 2015).

Seminar, LA College of Music, 30 participants. (April 3, 2015 - June 9, 2015).

Publications

Kownatzki, C. E. (2011). Money Music 101 (1st ed., pp. 200).

Kownatzki, C. E. (2016). HOW GOOD IS THE VIX AS A PREDICTOR OF MARKET RISK. Journal of Accounting and Finance, Volume 16(6)(2016-6), 39-60.

Trincal, E. (2017). RBC''s capped Leveraged Index Return Notes linked to Russel 2000 offers bulls limited upside (October 2, 2017 ed., pp. 2). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2017). Morgan Stanley''s $13.3 million contingent income notes on three stocks offer rare features (May 9, 2017 ed., pp. 2). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2017). Goldman''s callable contingent coupon notes linked to index, fund have sources sitting on fence (April 11, 2017 ed., pp. 1). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2017). Morgan Stanley''s lookback trigger step securities linked to S&P 500 seen riskier due to tenor (March 28, 2017 ed., pp. 2). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2016). Morgan Stanley''s trigger Plus tied to Healthcare Select SPDR show rarely used ETF sector bet (December 2016 ed., pp. 2). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2016). JP Morgan''s notes tied to a basket of 50 stocks offer access to firm''s research via big portfolio (August 2016 ed., pp. 3). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2016). Morgan Stanley $17.22 million currency notes offer bullish bet on the euro versus the dollar (May 2016 ed., pp. 3). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2016). Deutsche Bank''s digital notes linked to four currencies offer EM play (April, 2016 ed., pp. 4). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2015). HSBC''s two-year digital dual directional notes linked to Brazilian real offer good value play (November 2015 ed., pp. 6). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2015). JP Morgan''s leveraged notes linked to iShares EM offer conviction play with sizeable buffer (November 2015 ed., pp. 1-2). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2015). JP Morgan''s optimization notes tied to Technology Select fund offer ''fair'' terms, advisor says (September 2015 ed., pp. 2). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Kownatzki, C. (2015). Examination of implied volatility as a proxy for financial risk. Ann Arbor: ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Trincal, E. (2015). JP Morgan''s capped return enhanced notes linked to pound vs, euro introduce new currency pair (July 2015 ed., pp. 1+4). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Trincal, E. (2015). Morgan Stanley''s $5 million notes tied to BRIC currency basket have eye-catching 18x leverage (July 2015 ed., pp. 1+3). New York, NY: Prospect News.

Rutledge, J. (2015). Economics as Energy Framework: Complexity, Turbulence, Financial Crises, and Protectionism (April 2015 ed., vol. Volume 25, pp. Pages 10–18). Review of Financial Economics.

Kownatzki, C. (Presenter Only), Talk at Finance Club, "Trading Insights," Pepperdine Malibu L1. (February 1, 2016).

Kownatzki, C. E. (Principal), ""In Search of a Better Volatility"," Sponsored by CME Group Foundation, Private, $10,000.00. (May 1, 2016 - April 30, 2017).

Kownatzki, C., Kotite, F. In Search of a Better Volatility. International Review of Financial Analysis.

Service

Public/Community

Board of Directors of a Company, Pasadena Musical Theatre Corporation, Treasurer. (December 15, 2010 - December 31, 2015).

School

Advisor to the Board, LA College of Music. (March 1, 2016 - Present).

Consulting

Consulting on Financial Options Strategies, Anacapa Fund, Pacific Palisades. (April 1, 2017 - Present).

Financial/Economic Mentoring, Chernick Family, Los Angeles. (July 14, 2012 - January 15, 2015).

Management, Therakine, Berlin / Los Angeles. (January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2014).

Academic, Graziadio Business Review, Malibu. (March 11, 2011 - December 16, 2011).

Contributor, Business Insider. (April 7, 2010 - April 4, 2011).