Our team

Ilya has led Roy Talman & Associates since 1982. From the firm's roots with Chicago and East Coast trading firms, he has built it into an international practice that fills executive and senior roles for large asset managers, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, exchanges and digital-asset trading firms: quantitative researchers, portfolio managers, quantitative risk managers, quantitative traders, senior quantitative developers, and technology leaders up to CTO and CIO. He also works directly with traders and trading teams, and remains full-time and hands-on in the firm's searches.

He holds an M.S. in mathematics and computer science and an MBA from the University of Chicago, and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and Crain's Chicago Business. His Talman Tidbits essays, published from 2018 to 2023, followed machine learning from side project to core business, the move to remote and hybrid work, and what each shift meant for hiring. That same interest is behind the AI-based search system the firm's recruiters use today.

Boris joined Roy Talman & Associates in 2006. Before recruiting he worked on the other side of the desk: as a statistical-arbitrage quant; as a trader in equity options, fixed income and convertibles; as a hedge fund manager in FX futures, equities and fixed income; and as owner and CEO of a futures exchange. He holds a Ph.D. in mathematics and nuclear physics and an M.S. in computer science from Moscow Lomonosov State University.

He recruits senior and mid-level technologists, quants, traders and portfolio managers for investment funds, hedge funds, investment banks and proprietary trading firms, working with owners, partners and heads of technology, research and trading who have relied on his judgment for years.

Jim Rafferty joined Roy Talman & Associates in 2021, bringing more than 30 years of experience spanning executive recruiting, consulting, technology and financial services.

Before joining Roy Talman & Associates, Jim spent 12 years as the owner and lead headhunter of Market Shapers Ltd. Before launching his recruiting business, he spent nearly 20 years as a Principal with Price Waterhouse, PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM's Integrated Global Services (IGS) consulting business.

His extensive experience working within leading professional services, technology and finance organizations gives him a unique, firsthand understanding of how businesses operate, the challenges they face and the talent they need to succeed.

Greta serves as Head of Operations at Roy Talman & Associates, bringing over a decade of experience in business operations, executive-level coordination, and relationship management across global organizations. She works closely with clients and firm leadership to manage complex engagements, cultivate lasting partnerships, and ensure a highly personalized client experience.

Drawing on her background in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and professional services industries, Greta combines strong organizational leadership with a hands-on, solutions-oriented approach. She also leads initiatives focused on process optimization and technology integration, helping strengthen the firm’s operational capabilities and distinctive position in the quantitative finance and financial technology markets.

Greta holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from DePaul University and studied Business Administration and Management at Kaunas University of Technology.