Duncan James Mackenzie Fergusson

BlackRock Advisors (UK) Ltd. (BlackRock UK) is the Great Britain-based investment management subsidiary of BlackRock Finance Europe Ltd., ultimately held by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) in the US. The firm was founded in 1964 and formerly known as Barclays Global Investors Ltd. Headquartered in London, BlackRock UK manages a range of investment products for various UK and continental European clients including defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, insurance companies, educational and nonprofit organizations, local government entities, and individual and families.

BlackRock International Ltd. (BIL) is the Great Britain-based subsidiary of BlackRock Group Ltd., itself a subsidiary of BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) in the US. Founded in 1995, the firm is headquartered in Edinburgh and manages assets for institutional clients, separate accounts, pooled investment vehicles and US registered investment companies, including ETFs. Mandates include equity, fixed income and multi-asset strategies. BIL is socially responsible investors which has mandates that explicitly address social, ethical, or environmental considerations.

BlackRock Advisors LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1994 and is a subsidiary of BlackRock Capital Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK). BlackRock Advisors manages assets for US-registered investment companies and 529 Plans.

BNP Paribas Asset Management UK Ltd. (BNPP AM UK) is an asset management firm headquartered in London, UK. The firm was founded in 1990 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas Asset Management Holding SA, itself a subsidiary of BNP Paribas SA (EPA: BNP, ADR: BNPQY) in France. BNPP AM UK provides customized investment management services to institutional clients, wholesale clients and collective investment schemes.

abrdn Alternative Investments Ltd. (AAI) is the wholly owned asset management subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Investment Group Ltd. and their ultimate parent is abrdn Plc (LON: ABDN, ADR: SLFPF) in Great Britain. Formerly held by Lloyds Banking Group plc (LSE: LLOY), Aberdeen Asset Management plc entered into a strategic alliance with Lloyds Banking Group plc in 2013, acquiring AAI and their related private equity and infrastructure fund management businesses. Formerly known as Aberdeen Asset Investments Ltd., the firm was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in London. AAI provides investment solutions to private individuals, financial institutions, charities, investment trusts and corporate and local government pension funds in Great Britain and worldwide.

Moody's Investors Service Ltd. is the Great Britain-based investment research subsidiary of Moody's Corp. (NYSE: MCO) in the US. The firm was founded in 1985 under the name Rapidcredit Ltd. Headquartered in London, Moody's Investors Service provides credit ratings, research, and risk analysis. Credit ratings and research help investors analyze the credit risks associated with fixed-income securities. Such independent credit ratings and research also contribute to efficiencies in fixed-income markets and other obligations, such as insurance policies and derivative transactions, by providing credible and independent assessments of credit risk.

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.

Schroder Investment Management Ltd. (SIM) is the wholly-owned asset management subsidiary of Schroder International Holdings Ltd., ultimately held by Great Britain-based Schroders Plc (LSE: SDR, ADR: SHNWY). Established in 1985, SIM is headquartered in London and caters to a range of clients such as corporations, insurance firms, local and public authorities, charities, pension funds, high net-worth individuals and retail investors.

Thames River Capital LLP (TRC) is a specialist fund management firm headquartered in London, UK. The firm was founded in 1998 and is a subsidiary of Columbia Threadneedle Capital (UK) Ltd., ultimately held by Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) in the US. TRC provides specialist fund management services to professional investors and institutions in the UK and worldwide, through several single and multi-manager funds.

Martin Currie Investment Management Ltd. (MCIM) is the Great Britain-based investment management subsidiary of Martin Currie Ltd., ultimately held by Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE: BEN) in the US. The firm was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Edinburgh. MCIM performs investment management, dealing, investment support, sales and marketing and platform functions for the Martin Currie group. The firm manages active-equity portfolios for a global client base of financial institutions, charities, foundations, endowments, pension funds, family offices, government agencies and investment funds.

European Public Real Estate Association provides interest for public real estate sectors. It specializes in investment research, listed real estate, index management, formulation of best practices recommendations, representation to the EU and regulatory bodies and networking for sector. The company was founded in October 1999 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

Part of BlackRock, Inc., BlackRock (Channel Islands) Ltd. is a British company that provides investment and financial services. The company is based in St. Helier, UK.

Schweizerische Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG (Invt Port) (Swiss Re IP) is the investment portfolio division of Schweizerische Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG (Swiss Reinsurance Co., Ltd.) itself a subsidiary of Swiss Re AG (SW: SREN) in Switzerland. Based in Zurich, the Swiss Re Group was established in 1863 and provides wholesale reinsurance, insurance and other insurance-based forms of risk transfer to insurance companies, corporations and public sector entities. Swiss Re IM optimizes risk-adjusted investment returns within defined risk limits for the Group’s Business Units, Reinsurance, Corporate Solutions and Admin Re. They are a socially responsible investor which has a strategic approach in place to define and drive key activities across the firm. They have a special focus on climate change and are a signatory to the UN Global Compact.

Schweizerische Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG provides reinsurance, insurance, and risk management solutions. The firm focuses on the property and casualty, life and health, and asset management sectors. The company was founded on May 1, 1883 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

KBW LLC provides investment banking and financial services. It offers mergers, acquisitions, strategic advisory services, equity and fixed income securities offerings, structured finance and mutual thrift conversions, asset management, securities underwriting, and related investment advisory services. The firm focuses on banking and insurance companies, real estate companies and real estate investment trust, broker-dealers, mortgage banks, asset management companies, and specialty finance companies. Its business is organized into three general service offerings: Investment banking, including mergers and acquisitions and other strategic advisory services, equity and fixed income securities offerings, and mutual thrift conversions, Equity and Fixed Income sales and trading; and Research that provides fundamental, objective analysis that identifies investment opportunities and helps its investor customers make investment decisions. The company was founded by Harry Keefe Jr., Gene Bruyette, and Norbert Woods on June 11, 1962 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Commerzbank AG (UK) is the UK brokerage division of Commerzbank AG (FR: CBK) in Germany. Based in London, they engage in equity, debt and derivative instrument trading, investment banking, public finance and treasury, interest-rate and currency management, as well as corporate finance. In 2009 Dresdner Bank was acquired by and merged into Commerzbank and the London-based activities of Dresdner Kleinwort Securities absorbed into Commerzbank AG (UK). The firm provides capital markets services, corporate advisory, risk management, research and lending services focused on equity, corporate and emerging-market debt, derivatives and money market products. Their clients are European and international corporations, institutions and government entities. In terms of corporate finance they offer financial advisory as well as execution capabilities for a wide range of corporate finance-related transactions on a global basis. Their primary focus is on mergers and acquisitions, disposals, equity issues and initial public offerings.

Part of Bank of America Corp., Merrill Lynch Equities (Australia) Ltd. is an Australian company that provides brokerage services. The company is based in Sydney, Australia. Joseph Fayyad has been the CEO of the company since 2017.

Blackrock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II is a closed-end investment fund. It engages in investment activities. It provides total return, invests its total assets in fixed income securities, and other financial instruments that pay periodic income. The company was founded on May 11, 2018 and is headquartered in Wilmington, DE.

Founded in 1969, HSBC Securities (U.S.A.) Inc. is an SEC-registered brokerage firm and registered futures commission merchant located in New York City. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC North America Holdings, Inc. and their ultimate parent is HSBC Holdings Plc. (NYSE: HBC). HSBC Securities (U.S.A.) is a member of FINRA, the NYSE and the SIPC. Their securities and annuity products are provided by registered representatives and insurance agents of HSBC Securities (U.S.A.). In California, HSBC Securities (U.S.A.) conducts insurance business as HSBC Securities Insurance Services. Insurance products are offered through insurance agents of HSBC Insurance Agency (U.S.A.) Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC Bank U.S.A. NA and an indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc. The company also engages in investment banking underwriting, dealing and brokering of debt and equity securities and futures contracts and is a primary dealer in U.S. Government and federal agency securities.