Huge crypto bet draws heat for bank stock fund

Ken Mertz doesn’t fit the profile of a “Technoking.”

Mertz is the president and chief investment officer of Emerald Advisers, a $4.7 billion asset manager based in Leola, Pennsylvania, a community of about 7,500 situated 66 miles west of Philadelphia. The company prides itself on its “proprietary 10-step research process” and “fundamental approach to choosing securities.” Mertz is a CFA charterholder who was the chief investment officer of the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System for seven years before joining Emerald. He’s held a variety of board positions. His resume all points to a traditional, longtime investor at a modest-sized firm.