Sam Pfister

As Director of Analysis, Sam develops and maintains proprietary statistical software systems to enable efficient, accurate and customizable portfolio construction. Sam’s extensive experience at NASA and Cal Tech anchors the foundation of CCA’s technology platform.

Prior to joining Checchi Capital Advisers, Sam was a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology and a technical lead in the government-sponsored DARPA Grand Challenge autonomous vehicle competition. He was a doctoral student at Caltech, earning his Ph.D. for development of algorithms to enable robust statistical sensor processing in robotic applications. Sam also worked on the Mars Exploration Rover mission run by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During operations, he developed tools and techniques to model uncertainty and reduce risk and improve overall Rover operational efficiency.

Sam received a Bachelor of Science degree from Harvard University, and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.