Founders
Erik L. Gebhard
President, Co-Founder
ALTAVEST Worldwide Trading, Inc.
Before trading commodities Erik was an Account Executive with Amev Financial Group
(now known as Fortis) where he acquired his Series 6 & 63 securities licenses. In
1991 Erik acquired his Series 3 commodity brokers license and soon accepted clients.
He not only worked as a broker but also facilitated the development of paper trading
programs and was a broker-representative at option trading seminars throughout the
country. He then became a founding broker at another firm where he was also associate
editor of their newsletter and author of their trading hotline.
Erik also developed an interest in the Forex markets, but soon returned to commodities
as a partner in a brokerage. With six years of market experience Erik then partnered
with Mike Armbruster to create ALTAVEST. Erik currently co-authors TradeScope™,
periodically writes research and analysis papers, often times on gold and silver
trading, and offers his personal brokerage services to select traders.
His tip for trading longevity is to "know where you want out of a market before
you get into a market." He also stresses the importance of using a methodical trading
plan that incorporates sensible money management. He prefers to maintain an overall
perspective on the fundamentals while using traditional technical analysis to "fine-tune"
entry and exit points. One of his favorite tools is Candlestick Analysis because
it conveys price behavior quickly and effectively.
When Erik takes a break from the markets he enjoys golfing, sailing, cycling, traveling
and vintage sports cars.
Michael A. Armbruster
CFO, Cofounder
ALTAVEST Worldwide Trading, Inc.
In 1986, while attending the University of Hawaii, Mike was introduced to the exciting
world of commodities as an intern with Shearson Lehman Brothers. After his internship,
he transferred to the University of Kansas where, as an undergraduate, he joined
the KU rowing team and was elected captain after his second year. With a double-major
in Business and Accounting, he continued his study at Kansas where he earned a Masters
degree in Accounting in 1992. With degrees in hand, Mike's entry into the corporate
world was with Trans World Airlines as an internal auditor. While at TWA, he was
responsible for compliance and financial audits of the company's global operations
in such locations as New York, London, Zurich and Cairo.
In 1994, Mike began his career as a commodity broker in Grants Pass, Oregon. While
in Oregon, Mike specialized in servicing hundreds of clients who had been introduced
to the commodity markets through the Ken Roberts trading course. After three years
as a broker, Mike joined forces with Erik Gebhard in 1997 to found ALTAVEST. Mike
currently co-authors TradeScope and also offers his personal brokerage services
to select traders.
When Mike is away from the markets, he enjoys a round of golf, training for competitive
cycling events, mountain bike trips in the Rockies, and of course, Jayhawk basketball.