Howard Shapiro

Federated Investment Management Co. (FIMCO) is a mutual fund manager and SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The firm is a subsidiary of FII Holdings, Inc. and their ultimate parent is Federated Investors, Inc. (NYSE: FII). FIMCO offers domestic and international equity, fixed-income and money market mutual funds, as well as a variety of separate account options for a wide range of investors.

Founded in 1999, KBW Asset Management, Inc. (KBW) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. (NYSE: KBW). KBW is a registered hedge fund manager that offers investment management services to institutions and high net-worth individuals. The firm is based in New York City.

Founded in 2007, Fox-Pitt Kelton Cochran Caronia Waller LLC is a broker/dealer located in New York City, with additional offices in Chicago, West Hartford, Connecticut, London, San Francisco, Boston, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The firm is a subsidiary of Macquarie Group Ltd. (MCQEF.PK). They focus on the global financial services industry, particularly on the insurance, banking and related sectors. Their fundamental, company-specific research is supported by a rigorous approach to valuation.

Kidder, Peabody & Co., Inc. provides security brokerage services. The private company is based in Buffalo, NY and has subsidiaries in Switzerland. The company was founded by Thomas W. Ostrander.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1927, the firm is a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS). GS&Co. provides services to help hedge funds manage risk, monitor portfolios, maintain liquidity and build their businesses. They offer clients access to global equity and derivatives markets, as well as foreign exchange, commodities, European Lefts, rates and credit across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The firm proactively monitors capital markets, searching for pockets of liquidity and news that may require changes to those strategies. Integration with the Goldman Sachs network gives clients access to the firm's sectored block trades and their insights into price discovery. Their electronic trading program provides clients with tools to manage their trades from pre-trade analytics to post-trade analysis.

Scopus Asset Management LP (Scopus) is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor and hedge fund manager headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded by Alexander Mitchell in 1998. Scopus provides investment management services to privately pooled investment vehicles.