Steven Richard Meier

The Global Association of Risk Professionals is an organization that provides risk management solutions. The non-profit company is based in Jersey City, NJ. The company was founded by Marc Lore, Lev Borodovsky.

Founded in 1969, Oppenheimer Capital is an investment advisor firm located in New York City with an additional office in Newport Beach,, California. Oppenheimer Capital is wholly-owned by Allianz Dresdner Asset Management of America LP (formerly PIMCO Advisors LP), which is a subsidiary of Allianz AG (NYSE: AG). The firm is unrelated to OppenheimerFunds and the brokerage firm CIBC Oppenheimer.

In 1915 Charles Edward Merrill founded Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER) with Edmund C. Lynch in Baltimore, Maryland. The modern Merrill Lynch was formed in 1940 through mergers with E.A. Pierce & Cassatt and, soon after, Fenner & Beane. In 1973, Merrill Lynch adopted a holding company format, with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. as the parent and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith as the operating subsidiary. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc. (MLAM) was created as an integral business unit in the Merrill Lynch family in 1976. Fund Asset Management, doing business as Mercury Asset Management, was acquired in December 1997. In 2000, MLAM and Mercury were combined under the name Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. MLAM manages the Merrill Lynch family of mutual funds, as and acts as sub-advisor to other mutual funds.

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (Credit Suisse Securities USA) is the broker/dealer division of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, an investment banking company headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1998 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Credit Suisse (USA), Inc., ultimately owned by Credit Suisse Group AG (SWX: CSGN) in Switzerland. Credit Suisse Securities USA offers a suite of equities, solutions and credit products and services which includes global securities sales, trading and execution, prime brokerage and comprehensive investment research. Their clients include financial institutions, corporations, governments, institutional investors, such as pension funds and hedge funds, and private individuals around the world.

SSgA Funds Management, Inc. (SSgA FM) is a registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm was founded in 1978 and is a subsidiary of State Street Global Advisors, Inc., ultimately held by State Street Corp. (NYSE: STT). SSgA FM provides investment advisory services to US investment companies and certain pooled investment vehicles.