THE TEAM BEHIND BAMIX
Pioneering a New Category in Fixed Income

For years, income-focused investors faced a frustrating choice: settle for the low yields of traditional bonds or navigate the complexity and high minimums of institutional alternatives.

At Booster, we recognized this gap and set out to create a better solution.

The BAMIX Story — From Innovation to Implementation

How We Helped Democratize Access to Structured Note Investing

The story of BAMIX begins with Brookstone Capital Management, a $12+ billion RIA that spent over a decade developing and refining a successful structured note investment strategy. What started as an innovative approach for select clients grew into a $2 billion SMA strategy that consistently delivered compelling results.

The results were compelling: advisors could offer their clients income potential beyond traditional fixed income, with risk management features built into each investment.  However, while successful, the strategy had inherent limitations—as individual note investments, clients were bound by the specific terms, maturity dates, and liquidity constraints set by each issuer. While the outcomes were strong, this lack of flexibility, combined with the operational complexity in managing multiple individual notes across client portfolios, created barriers for broader implementation.

This challenge became our opportunity. We recognized that by combining multiple structured notes within a professionally managed fund structure, we could maintain the income and protection benefits while adding diversification, professional oversight, and liquidity through quarterly redemptions. This insight led to the creation of the Booster Income Opportunities Fund—a professionally managed interval fund designed exclusively around enhanced income notes.

Built on Proven Institutional Expertise

Founded on the successes established at Brookstone Capital Management, the investment team led that firm to:

  • $12+ Billion in total assets under management
  • Top-10 Turnkey Asset Management Platform (TAMP) recognition
  • $2+ Billion structured note SMA strategy
  • 10+ Years of structured note specialization

This foundation ensures BAMIX benefits from time-tested investment processes, rigorous due diligence, and seasoned risk management.

“Structured notes have long delivered compelling outcomes but remained inaccessible to most investors. We built BAMIX to solve that.”

— Dean Zayed, CEO & Founder

Leadership Team

  • Dean Zayed Dean Zayed - CEO & Founder

    Dean Zayed, JD, LLM, CFP® – CEO & Founder
    Builder of the first structured notes interval fund

    Dean Zayed serves as CEO and founder of both Booster Asset Management and Brookstone Capital Management, the $12+ billion RIA he built from inception in 2006. Under Dean’s leadership, Brookstone was ranked as one of the Top 50 Fastest-Growing RIAs in the country by Financial Advisor magazine and has been recognized as a Financial Times Top 300 Firm multiple times.

    Dean’s unique background as both an estate planning attorney and tax lawyer working with high-net-worth clients led him to envision the integration of financial services with legal planning – a vision that became the foundation for Brookstone’s success. Under his leadership, Brookstone developed the industry’s largest structured note SMA strategy, growing to over $2 billion in assets. His vision to democratize access to these sophisticated strategies led to the creation of BAMIX—a structured notes interval fund.

    Dean received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Northwestern University, a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University School of Law, and a Master’s degree in Taxation (LLM) from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and holds Illinois insurance licenses for life, health, and long-term care.

  • Cory Grebe Cory Grebe - Director of Sales

    Cory Grebe serves as Director of Sales at Booster Asset Management, where he leads the strategic growth and distribution of the Booster Income Opportunities Fund (BAMIX). With over 13 years of experience in the asset management industry, Cory specializes in helping financial advisors navigate alternative income and non-traditional fixed income strategies.

    Prior to joining Booster, Cory built his career as a senior wholesaler at First Trust Portfolios, where he facilitated over $1 billion in structured note transactions, developing deep expertise in the mechanics of structured products—knowledge central to the income-generation strategy behind BAMIX.

    At Booster, Cory is focused on providing technical support and guidance to help wealth management teams implement modern income solutions for their clients. Cory graduated from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business with a double major in Accounting and Finance. He currently holds his FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses.

Sub-Advisory Team

  • Mark DiOrio Mark DiOrio, CFA - Chief Investment Officer

    Mark DiOrio, CFA – Chief Investment Officer

    Mark DiOrio joined Brookstone as Chief Investment Officer in 2015, bringing nearly 20 years of investment industry experience, including 10 years of multi-asset class portfolio management. In his role at Brookstone, he leads the firm’s investment committee and drives the firm’s investment policy framework and portfolio construction methodology, overseeing the portfolio strategy group that provides recommendations on strategic and tactical portfolio design.

    Prior to Brookstone, Mark was responsible for launching and managing a boutique investment subsidiary of a publicly traded regional bank holding company, where he ran a global tactical asset allocation strategy and accumulated an 8-year GIPS® compliant track record. Mark received his MBA from Benedictine University and his BA from Eastern Illinois University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and is a member of both the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Chicago.

  • Matt Lovett Matt Lovett - Chief Compliance Officer

    Matt Lovett – Chief Compliance Officer

    Matt Lovett is a seasoned compliance executive serving as Chief Compliance Officer for Brookstone Capital Management since 2013. With over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Matt leads the firm’s regulatory compliance framework, risk management strategy, and supervisory controls to ensure adherence to federal and state securities laws.

    Prior to serving as Chief Compliance Officer, Matt held roles in compliance, operations, and advisory services, providing a well-rounded perspective on both regulatory requirements and business operations. He has successfully managed regulatory examinations, strengthened internal controls, and guided firms through evolving regulatory landscapes. He received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland and has held multiple FINRA licenses, including the Series 6, 7, 24, 53, 63, 66, 79, 87, and 99.

  • Alex Bobin Alex Bobin, CFA - Director of Portfolio Strategy & Structured Solutions

    Alex Bobin, CFA – Senior Portfolio Manager

    Alex Bobin, CFA, serves as Director of Portfolio Strategy & Structured Solutions at Brookstone Capital Management, where he is Lead Portfolio Manager of the Booster Income Opportunities Fund (BAMIX). He combines deep experience in portfolio construction, structured-note strategy, and product innovation to create income-oriented investment solutions for advisors and their clients.

    Since joining Brookstone in 2019, Alex has played a crucial role in building the firm’s structured-solutions platform and expanding access to institutional-quality investments within the independent advisory community. Alex earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation. He is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society Chicago.

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