Ronald Mass, CFA – Managing Principal, Chief Investment Officer Ronald Mass, is the founder of Almitas Capital. He was a senior portfolio manager for over 20 years at Western Asset Management, an institutional fixed income manager with over $450 billion in assets under management, and led the Asset Backed Securities (ABS) and Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) portfolio management teams. Mr. Mass chaired the Leveraged Products Committee, was a senior member of the Broad Market Strategy and Risk Management Committees, and was responsible for management of over $100 billion in assets. He initiated the launch and management of the Western Asset Mortgage Capital (WMC) Reit, numerous closed and open end mutual funds, CDO and CLO products, and customized client portfolios. Additional responsibilities included management of Convertible Bonds, Preferred Stock, Aircraft Equipment Financing, and Secured Corporate Bonds. Prior to joining Western Asset, Mr. Mass was a Research Associate at Credit Suisse First Boston. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelors in Economics and Business. Mr. Mass is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute. He currently serves as a board member of Woodside Homes, a leading West Coast homebuilder, is a guest lecturer at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and CFA Society of Los Angeles, and is a frequent speaker at industry events.