Our trading expertise and experience have produced strong relationships with trading floor groups, which provides our clients exceptional execution and service.

At Coquest, we firmly believe that our strengths lie within our experienced staff and independent status held with the National Futures Association. This allows us to tailor our services based on the client needs. The flexibility we have provides our clients access to dozens of global and localized partners. Through our network of relationships we have access to international commercial and retail FCMs, global investment banks, domestic OTC trading partners and some of the largest foreign exchange dealers in the world.

Founders

John Vassallo:

Mr. Vassallo started in the futures industry in 1988 on the floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange. He worked as a floor clerk for Rafferty Associates, a floor brokerage group in the energy sector. After learning the inner workings of the trading floor, Mr. Vassallo moved to the upstairs brokerage group, GPR, Inc. As an AP for GPR, Mr. Vassallo marketed energy-hedging programs, the firm's technical trading program, and executed trades for existing clients.

In 1990, Mr. Vassallo moved from New York to his home of Dallas, Texas, to start Coquest Inc. with Dennis Weinmann. Coquest was set up to work with oil and gas companies, and to participate in the managed futures arena. Coquest was successful in securing a number of large oil and gas hedging accounts, including the State of Texas Treasury Dept.

Coquest Inc. has continued to grow and expand throughout the years, to address many of the changes in the futures industry and the oil and gas risk management business. In 1995 Coquest Energy Services was formed to broker physical and financial natural gas transactions via the Over the Counter, ("OTC") markets. In 1999, Coquest Structured Products was founded to be a market maker for small to mid sized oil and gas producers and end users. Along with these services, the Coquest family of companies has worked as a consultant and/or expert witness for various projects and customers.

In 2009, Mr. Vassallo became a partner in Mega Capital, a Dallas based Introducing Broker, specializing in managed futures. Mega Capital has approximately $215,000,000. under management.

Mr. Vassallo serves on the National Futures Association Board of Directors.

He lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife, Kathy and their two children, John (9) and Bridgette (9).

Dennis T. Weinmann

Vice President, started CQI with John Vassallo in September 1990. Dennis has been registered as an Associated Person and Principal of CQI since December 1990. Dennis manages all trading operations for CQI and also trades on behalf of the company's customers. Previously, Dennis was the CEO and Secretary of ArcFutures Inc. He was an Associated Person and Principal of ArcFutures Inc from June 2000 until April 2010. Dennis was also Vice President of Toro Asset Management Inc. He was an Associated Person and Principal of Toro Asset Management Inc. from May 1994 until May 2010.