New deputy finance commissioner hired
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.» Mike Sharp began his first day as the city’s deputy commissioner of finance Monday after working as an investment associate at Siguler Guff in Manhattan.
Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan announced her appointment of Sharp last week.
“Mike comes to the city with a vast amount of experience working in the financial sector over the past 15 years,” said Madigan in a statement. “The city is very fortunate to have someone with his experience step into the role of deputy commissioner of finance and I look forward to working with Mike as we begin the 2018 budget season together.”
Sharp takes over for Susan Dugan-Armstrong
who returned to her job as city website content coordinator.
“We both sort of came to a decision together that [her old job] was a better fit for her,” said Madigan.
Madigan posted her deputy position job to LinkedIn.
“I decided I did want to do a big search because I actually think the deputy commissioner of finance is one of the deputy positions that requires a certain skill set,” said Madigan. “Budgeting, preferably municipal budgeting, but any kind of budgeting, and an accounting or finance background I think is very suitable for the deputy commissioner position, so that’s what I was looking for.”
In order to work for the city, one must live in Saratoga Springs. It just so happened Sharp, his wife Katie, and their son Leo planned to relocate north of Westchester County to be closer to family.
“I’ve had plenty of conversations with Mike. He definitely has finance and budgeting experience. Not necessarily municipal, [but] investment management,” said Madigan. “He’s used to dealing with big numbers. He understands technology really well. The ins and outs of a financial management system, Excel, Bloomberg and all of those technology systems that go with it. I feel very confident with him in this role.”
Katie Sharp spent summers in Silver Bay in Hague. Her parents retired around there. The Sharps have family in Schuylerville, too.
“We’ve always come through Saratoga Springs, and always have had a great time in and around the city,” said Mike Sharp.
At first, Sharp looked at asset management opportunities in Albany, but then he saw the deputy opening.
“This opportunity popped up and it seemed like something that was very interesting,” said Sharp. “Obviously different from what I’ve done but I like the challenge and the idea of being part of government in a town that we love and doing some real good for the town and the people in it was a very attractive opportunity.”
As a member of Siguler Guff’s Distressed Opportunities Funds platform, Sharp was the primary contact for 16 fund investments that represented over $1 billion of committed capital, and he focused on researching and managing investment opportunities across geographies, sectors and asset classes. Sharp first joined Siguler Guff as an operations analyst in 2009, and was promoted to the investment team in 2012.
Sharp, from Staten Island, has degrees from Marist College in Accounting and Business and a dual concentration graduate degree from Fordham Graduate School of Business in Finance and Media & Communications.
The commissioners appoint their own deputies. Right now, Madigan is running unopposed for commissioner of finance this November.