Meet Our Team
Mark Halvorsen
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & FOUNDER
As Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Gray Oak Capital and Gray Oak Capital Management, Mark leverages over two decades of trading expertise to drive strategic growth and deliver consistent results across the firm’s investment and advisory operations. In his leadership role, Mark oversees Gray Oak’s investment process, trading, investment banking, capital allocation, risk management and compliance programs.
Prior to starting the Gray Oak entities in 2018, Mark was a trader and Portfolio Manager at HC Technologies and Bolton LP. At both hedge funds, he specialized in volatility trading and focused on a menu of Delta One trading strategies. Mark began his career as a proprietary trader at Maple Securities USA and worked there from 2005 – 2015. He also was a General Securities Principal and the Registered Options Principal for the trading desk during his tenure at Maple Securities USA.
Mark graduated from Gettysburg College earning a Bachelor of the Arts in management and holds the FINRA Series 3, 4, 6, 7, 24, 27, 55, 63, 65, 79 and SIE.
Michael Wilkins
FOUNDER & MANAGING PARTNER
Mike Wilkins is a leader in the broker-dealer and hedge fund industries, an entrepreneur and investor in early-stage businesses. Over his forty-year career, Mike has led, managed, founded and built global broker dealer and hedge fund businesses from the point of view as Chief Executive Officer, Founder and Managing Partner.
As Founder and Managing Partner of Gray Oak Capital and Gray Oak Capital Management, he continues to shape innovative trading strategies, raise capital, attract top talent and foster next-generation investment solutions.
As an original investor of Velocity Clearing, he served on the broker dealer’s board until the firm was acquired by Hanwha Holdings in July 2025.
Earlier in his career, Mike launched Bolton LP in 2010, where he achieved strong performance for the equity/options arbitrage strategy, earning industry recognition during its five-year run. Before that, he served as Global Head of Securities Lending at Bank of Montreal following its acquisition of Paloma Partner’s Securities Lending and Trading business in 2009. In this role, he orchestrated a post-merger integration of a 90-person team while he expanded the bank’s global footprint in securities lending.
Mike established his broker dealer and hedge find career at Paloma Partners in 1991, rising to CEO of Paloma’s Securities Lending and Trading division. Under his leadership, the business operated across major financial hubs—New York, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seattle and Melbourne —and was ultimately sold to Bank of Montreal in 2009.
He holds a Bachelor of the Arts in economics from the University of Massachusetts.
Sharon Foster Schoen
MANAGING DIRECTOR, IMPACT INVESTING
Sharon leads Gray Oak Capital’s Impact Investing group that focuses on organizations aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and contributes to capital raising activity for industrials, technology and real estate. At sister organization Gray Oak Capital Management, she develops fund structures that present unique opportunities for investors.
Previously, Sharon spent over a decade as a municipal bond banker specializing in tax-exempt project finance, serving as Senior Vice President at Greenwich Partners and Jackson Securities. Her early career included roles as a Manufacturing and Systems Consultant at Arthur Andersen (now Accenture) and Project Engineer at Singer Kearfott.
In 2008, she founded and continues to lead the JR Schoen Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit supporting pediatric brain cancer research and families in crisis. She also volunteers as a bereaved parents group facilitator at the Center for Hope in Darien, CT.
Sharon holds a Bachelor of Sciences in industrial engineering from Lehigh University and maintains SIE, Series 7, and Series 63 licenses.
John Mitchell
MANAGING DIRECTOR
John Mitchell is Managing Director at Gray Oak Capital, where he leads the sourcing and distribution of alternative investment opportunities for global institutional investors across multiple asset classes. With over 30 years of experience spanning trading, structuring, advising, and capital raising, John has raised more than $4 billion for hedge funds, private equity, private credit, and co-investments.
Before joining Gray Oak Capital in 2024, John held senior roles in capital formation and investor relations at leading firms, including Delphos MMJ, CarVal Investors, and a London-based emerging market private debt manager. He was also a founding member of Jamison Capital, a commodity macro fund, where he grew assets under management to $2 billion from sovereign wealth funds, pensions, and endowments. Earlier in his career, he worked at Tennyson Capital, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Paloma Partners.
John has lived and worked in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London, advising on strategic growth and asset-raising initiatives for alternative funds. He holds a Bachelor of the Arts in economics from Rutgers University and was a four-year varsity soccer letterman.
Christopher Wofford
SENIOR ADVISOR
Chris Wofford is a veteran M&A advisor who has led groups at some of the largest investment banks in the US, including Bank of America, Bear Stearns, Macquarie Capital and Wells Fargo. Over his 30-plus-year career, he has executed more than $120 billion in M&A transactions — including over a dozen cross-border deals. His deal experience covers public company transactions that have ranged from hostile takeovers and raid defense to take-privates and mergers of equals.
Chris’s wide-ranging experience covers diverse industries, such as telecommunications, retail and wholesale food, metals and mining, distribution and transportation, as well as the global supply chain sector. Within the supply chain, Chris has emerged as an industry leader, having acted as Global Sector Head at numerous large banks.
Chris started his career at DLJ-LA under Ken Moelis. He has served as a Managing Director at leading financial institutions since 2002 and has been a Global Head of various industry practices since 2006.
In January 2026, Chris joined Gray Oak Capital as a Senior Advisor, bringing his transaction experience to the integrated broker dealer and investment bank. While at Gray Oak, he continues to work at Wofford Advisors –his supply chain strategic advisory practice – while supporting Gray Oak in more general M&A transactions.
He is a graduate of Oberlin College, holding a Bachelor of the Arts in history and East Asian Studies. He earned a Master of Business Administration in finance and strategy, with honors, from the University of Chicago.
Adam Bain
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Adam Bain is a seasoned financial industry executive with over 20 years of experience shaping and executing strategy across global asset management and sales and trading. Recognized for driving strategic initiatives and capital formation, Adam has raised more than $2 billion and is a trusted advisor to CIOs and investment managers throughout North America and Europe.
Adam has played pivotal roles in building and scaling alternative capital management businesses. His leadership at Artist Capital (2013–2020) and Delphos MMJ (2020–2025), and his current role at Gray Oak Capital (since September 2025), reflect his expertise in venture capital, private debt, and growth equity. As a registered representative, he has been central to numerous successful fundraising efforts —including developing Artist Capital’s international growth equity platform from inception to over $350 million in less than 18 months, through innovative sectors such as eSports.
As a partner at Sway Ventures, Adam led capital raising, scaling assets under management from under $50 million in commitments to over $300 million. He is the acting Co-GP of Sock Monster, a laundromat roll-up strategy.
Earlier in his career, Adam led business development at CommonWealth Opportunity Capital, where he helped increase AUM from $68 million to approximately $1.3 billion, and at Drobny Capital, where he guided the firm through a strategic transition and secured key clients. He also held various roles at Goldman Sachs, with one as part of the municipal derivatives market team, and UBS. Across these roles, he has consistently built investor development plans from the ground up.
Adam frequently speaks at industry conferences on topics ranging from venture capital and macro trends to the evolution of investment management. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his three children and is an avid athlete, often found practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, skiing, surfing, playing paddle tennis, golfing, hunting, fishing, and embracing the outdoors.
Irenee May
MANAGING DIRECTOR
With over 40 years in the financial industry, Irenee is best known for his visionary leadership, deep sector expertise, and ability to steer innovation across global markets. Throughout his career, he has been a trusted advisor to some of the world’s largest financial institutions, asset managers, hedge funds, and alternative investment firms.
Currently, as a registered representative at Gray Oak Capital, Irenee supports deal flow generation and identifies synergistic investment opportunities for clients. He also serves as managing partner at Beacon Point Advisors. Here he guides financial institutions through complex strategic challenges, delivering innovative leverage and structured solutions, as well as partnerships with service and technology providers that enhance his client’s offerings. In this role he has partnered at times with EMES, Cuttone & Company and Double N Advisors.
Irenee’s prior experience includes senior leadership roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland/Natwest, and J.P. Morgan. At RBS, he was instrumental in shaping the firm’s global hedge fund strategy, growing revenues exponentially, and navigating the firm through the 2008 financial crisis with exceptional performance. At J.P. Morgan, he played a pivotal role in broadening the firm’s client base, developing innovative financial products, and expanding the bank’s reach across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
Irenee’s career is marked by a commitment to strategic insight, client partnership, and enduring impact on the financial services industry. Before embarking on a career in finance, Irenee attended the University of Virginia, earning a Bachelor of the Arts in economics. He returned to Virginia, following a four-year stint in politics, earning a Masters in Business Administration from the Darden School of Business.