About

Columbus Advisors was founded in 2009 to provide clients with a true partner to facilitate their growth. At Columbus Advisors, we collaborate with our clients to develop strategic, practical frameworks for human resources and business development that drive both immediate impact and long-term success.

Columbus Advisors is led by leadership team of seasoned practioners each with over 30 years of experience in financial services, real estate, and private equity companies. We work alongside clients to help them navigate complexity, unlock opportunities, and deliver sustainable, long-term value.

Deborah Markus-Quinsee is the Co-Founder of Columbus Advisors, a strategic consulting firm with over 30 years of experience serving clients across financial services, real estate, and private equity companies. Ms. Markus-Quinsee brings deep expertise in human capital, corporate strategy and operations with a focus on the investment management, fintech and private equity backed organizations.  She has a proven track record of building and transforming businesses at every stage of growth, helping leadership teams navigate complexity, execute organizational initiatives and drive sustainable value creation. Ms. Markus-Quinsee Co-Founded Columbus Advisors in 2009. After a period focused on other ventures, she has returned to lead the firm on a full-time basis.

Ms. Markus-Quinsee began her career in investment banking at Nationsbanc Montgomery Securities before joining JPMorgan Asset Management as a member of the Marketing & Sales Team focused on Institutional Equity and Real Estate Products. In 2012, she became Head of Corporate Development at Structured Portfolio Management, a $4 billion alternative investment fund. Ms. Markus-Quinsee chaired the Compensation Committee and was a member of the Audit Committee for a publicly traded REIT and currently sits on the Board for the NYU Chen Center for Real Estate Finance at NYU.   

Ms. Markus-Quinsee graduated, cum laude, from Binghamton University with a degree in political science and received her MBA in finance and marketing from NYU Stern School of Business. 


Maria Cassisi is a Partner at Columbus Advisors with over 30 years of experience spanning financial services, real estate, and venture-backed companies. She brings a cross-disciplinary approach with a focus on business growth, client strategy, and human capital—particularly within investment management and growth-oriented organizations.

Ms. Cassisi’s career is distinguished by a strong record of helping clients achieve meaningful growth through the design and execution of multi-phase business strategies. She partners with leadership across investment, legal, compliance, and operations functions to deliver integrated solutions aligned with long-term business goals.

Prior to joining Columbus Advisors, Ms. Cassisi held senior roles at Standard Life Investments and Aviva Investors, where she built and led high-performing teams, created infrastructure to support scalable growth, created marketing strategies resulting in multi-billion dollar asset raises and served on North American leadership and operating committees. 

Earlier in her career, Ms. Cassisi held senior marketing positions at JPMorgan Asset Management and US Trust. In addition to her role at Columbus Advisors, she is actively involved in her community, serving on advisory boards focused on education and philanthropic initiatives. Ms. Cassisi graduated cum laude from Boston University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a minor in Economics.