Johnny Szerdi

Co-Founder

​

Johnny graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, but his true passion has always been understanding how systems function and how to improve them.

​

He started his career as an engineering consultant for a Fortune 100 company, working on complex infrastructure and process challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he made a full transition into financial markets, becoming a full-time investor and a consultant for two major financial publications.

​

Over time, Johnny saw that the same principles used in engineering, like equilibrium, energy transfer, and system optimization, could be applied to financial markets. He began investing in 2012, but in 2017 he turned his attention to the cryptocurrency space, drawn to its volatility and potential for outsized returns.

​

After witnessing the massive appreciation in crypto between 2018 and 2021, he became focused on understanding the deeper forces behind market cycles. This led him into macroeconomics, where he began studying how policy, liquidity, and global trends shape asset prices across the board.

In 2021, Johnny reconnected with his college friend Aaron. They shared growing concerns about tightening monetary policy and warned their communities about the risks to crypto and other assets. Their early insights helped many investors avoid significant losses during the 2022 market downturn.

​

Today, Johnny continues that mission through Macro Optics, helping investors make sense of the bigger picture and navigate markets with greater clarity, confidence, and strategy.

Aaron Garfinkel, MSRE

Co-Founder

​

​

Aaron is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he earned both a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and a Master's degree in Real Estate in 2019.

​

He began his career in real estate capital markets as an associate at a major U.S. bank. His focus was on financing multifamily and senior housing assets, where he supported the commitment and origination of approximately $1 billion in loan proceeds. Through this work, Aaron developed a strong foundation in commercial real estate underwriting, transaction management, and investment proposal development.

​

In 2021, Aaron transitioned into independent consulting and began working as a full-time macroeconomic analyst. Although he started investing as early as 2009, it was after graduate school that he began actively managing his portfolio and refining his investment strategy. Much of his early success can be attributed to the foundational knowledge he gained from his father, Mark Garfinkel.

​

During his time as an investment consultant, Aaron became passionate about sharing financial education with everyday investors. He believes that increasing access to practical knowledge is one of the best ways to promote personal independence and long-term freedom. For Aaron, learning and teaching are deeply connected. The more we share, the more we grow.

​

These experiences ultimately led to the creation of Macro Optics. The mission is simple: take years of macroeconomic research and financial study, and make it accessible to anyone willing to learn. Aaron is excited to continue building the Macro Optics community alongside his longtime friend Johnny Szerdi and his father Mark Garfinkel.

Mark Garfinkel CFA, MBA

Senior Contributor

​

​

Mark is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a graduate of Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Accounting.

​

Mark has spent the majority of his career in the investment industry, managing assets for high-net-worth individuals, trust clients, and institutional investors. He has a long-standing track record of developing quantitative investment strategies and delivering consistent, risk-adjusted performance.

​

From 1990 to 2006, Mark worked at the predecessor firm to what is now Truist Bank. After serving as a portfolio manager for both institutional and private clients, he developed and launched a Small Cap Growth strategy within an internal mutual fund in 1998. This strategy achieved top-tier performance and attracted nearly $3 billion in assets within seven years.

​

In 2006, Mark co-founded Perimeter Capital Management, an investment advisory boutique built on the success of that same Small Cap Growth strategy. Under his leadership, the strategy continued to deliver strong performance and helped raise $2 billion in assets within the first five years. It became known for top-decile risk-adjusted returns and a consistently high batting average, outperforming benchmarks quarter after quarter.

​

After retiring from Perimeter in 2014, Mark shifted his focus to fintech, taking on the role of CFO and COO at a startup in the payments space. There, he led efforts to build a sustainable business model and operational platform.

​

Driven by his passion for investment management, Mark later joined a startup wealth management firm as Head of Investment Policy and Strategy. In this role, he oversees the firm’s investment philosophy, manages its alternative investment platform, and produces monthly and quarterly macroeconomic and market outlooks for clients.

​

Macro Optics is proud to share Mark’s ongoing insights on the financial markets, portfolio strategy, and long-term investing by helping readers stay grounded in sound thinking during all phases of the market cycle.