Garth A. Ballantyne

UBS Asset Management (Americas) LLC (UBS AM) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2000 as UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS Americas, Inc., ultimately owned by UBS Group AG (SIX: UBSG; NYSE: UBS) in Switzerland. UBS AM provides investment products and services to corporate and public pension plans, financial institutions and advisors, central banks, charities, foundations and individual investors around the world.

Founded in 2002, Natixis Securities Americas LLC is an investment bank and SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered New York City with offices in several leading U.S. cities and affiliate offices in London and Paris. The firm is a division of Natixis and a subsidiary of Natixis SA. Their client base is located throughout North America and Europe and ranges from the largest mutual fund and pension fund managers to specialist hedge funds. Natixis Securities Americas' sales and trading teams are located in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Houston. Natixis Securities Americas' research efforts focus on identifying new insights about companies that are not fully reflected in their stock prices. The firm also seeks to provide clients with access to the managements of listed companies and to other industry experts. They arrange for such marketing opportunities, in the form of road shows, conferences, meetings and conference calls. Natixis Securities Americas' institutional trading desk offers clients trading capabilities in equities all over the world. The firm focuses on specific global markets to provide clients with the best possible execution worldwide. Natixis Securities Americas employs a transatlantic approach that examines the effects of technological, market and regulatory developments across both continents on the companies under coverage. In the U.S., they provide in-depth sector coverage on energy (oil services, exploration and production, alternative energy and coal), healthcare (large-cap pharmaceuticals, specialty pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and healthcare services) and media (media conglomerates, content creators, interactive TV and new media, as well as technical analysis. In Europe, Natixis Securities Americas applies a country-wide approach to all of the key sectors of France, Germany, Austria and Central and Eastern Europe. Combined, the firm's product offering includes more than 600 stocks. Natixis Securities Americas global trading group specializes in the trading, execution and settlement of international equities. The firm provides 24-hour access to 55 global markets. They cater to broker/dealer and institutional clients, providing ADR and ordinary share executions on an agency or proprietary basis. The firm can accommodate most client trading requirements from basket trading to block orders. To complement their international trading reach, Natixis Securities Americas domestic bulletin board trading group currently markets over 2000 U.S.-based companies. The firm offers their clients innovative trading technology through a proprietary Direct Market Access (DMA) platform, Enabler Direct. This product allows immediate access to a variety of liquidity sources through one anonymous interface. Natixis Securities Americas' global brokerage services group offers services to a select group of professional clients. The firm seeks to partner with banks, broker/dealers, hedge funds and high net-worth clients that can utilize their blend of international capabilities and traditional brokerage services to support and enhance their success. Their global brokerage services group is prominent in international securities, equity trading and brokerage operations in over 55 countries around the world. They have experience in both the pre-trade and post-trade requirements in each of these countries.

Credit Agricole Securities (USA), Inc. (Credit Agricole Securities USA) is a full service broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2004 and formerly known as Calyon Securities USA, Inc. and Credit Lyonnais Securities, Inc. They are a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole Global Partners, Inc., which is owned by Rue la Boétie SAS’s Credit Agricole SA (EPA: ACA) in France. Credit Agricole Securities USA provides investors’ customized solutions to ensure they achieve their execution objectives in the tradition of service excellence and product innovation.

BNP Paribas Securities Corp. engages in the provision of brokerage services. It offers commercial banking, corporate and institutional banking, asset management, fleet services, and real estate. The company was founded on September 7, 1984 and is headquartered New York, NY.

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.

AXES LLC provides financial brokerage services. It provides derivatives exchange, equity research, and international security services. The company is headquartered in New York, NY

Unifund CCR Partners, Inc. provides financial services. The firm provides debt sales & purchases, portfolio management, and government services. The company was founded by David G. Rosenberg in 1986 and is located in Cincinnati, OH.

Tocqueville Securities LP is a private company based in New York, NY.

PGIM Investments LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and fund-of-funds manager headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. The firm was founded in 1996 and formerly known as Prudential Investments LLC. They are an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU). PGIM Investments serves as investment adviser and administers the business affairs of retail, insurance, and alternative funds.

Founded in 2008, Odeon Capital Group LLC is an independent full-service broker/dealer located in New York City. The firm provides advice and execution on fundamental value and catalyst-driven situations through sales and trading, research, investment banking and asset management services. Odeon Capital Group provides services related to fixed-income securities including corporate securities, ABS, RMBS, Auction Rate securities and other structured products. The firm serves institutional clients. Odeon Capital Group is a member of FINRA, the SIPC and the MSRB. Odeon Capital Group has expertise in both traditional and esoteric assets. The firm has placed both large and small volume transactions in every asset class. They seek to maximize value for their clients through in-depth analyses of sectors, asset classes and individual securities that are hard to value or trade. The firm's Structured Products and Corporate Groups focus on institutional sales, trading and analytics of secondary structured products, esoteric assets and special situations.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is a registered broker-dealer subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings, Inc., ultimately owned by Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) in the US. Headquartered in New York City, the firm was founded in 1987 and provides debt and equity services including underwriting, M&A advice, securities dealing and brokerage and trade execution. Their client base ranges from large global institutional investors to hedge funds at the cutting edge of innovation in the industry.

Fitch Ratings, Inc. is a global rating agency and investment research firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded by John Knowles in 1913 as Fitch Publishing Co. They are a subsidiary of Fitch Group, Inc., ultimately owned by The Hearst Family Trust. Fitch Ratings seeks to provide independent and prospective credit opinions, research and data to the world's credit markets. Their approach is based on a foundation of local market experience that covers capital markets in over 150 countries. The firm's ratings analysis and rating decisions are based on established criteria, methodologies and ratings definitions which they apply in a consistent manner. Fitch Ratings provides coverage of the following markets: Economics, Banks, Insurance, Sovereigns, Corporates, Structured Finance, Public Finance – International, Public Finance – US, Infrastructure & Project, and Finance.

Nomura Securities International, Inc. (NSI) is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1969. The firm is a division of Nomura Holding America, Inc. and their ultimate parent is Nomura Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NMR, TYO: 8604, AMS: 8604). NSI provides securities brokerage services, as well as asset management, domestic retail, global markets, global investment banking and global merchant banking services. The firm's fixed-income business consists of bond sales and trading, origination and product supply for securitization deals and real estate-focused asset finance operations (in cooperation with Investment Banking). In the equity markets, NSI offers sales and trading of domestic and foreign stocks on a global basis, primarily for institutional investors.

Founded in 2002, Maxim Group LLC is a registered broker/dealer located in New York City. The firm provides an array of financial services including: investment banking, equity research, private wealth management, structured products and global institutional equity, fixed-income and derivative sales and trading to a diverse range of corporate clients, institutional investors and high net-worth individuals. Maxim Group's niche is emerging-growth companies in a variety of sectors including healthcare, technology, retail and others. They utilize a fundamental, bottom-up approach to investment recommendations. The firm combines rigorous financial analysis of specific companies and industries with due diligence that includes frequent consults with suppliers, customers, competitors and senior management. The firm focuses on under-covered, small- to-mid-cap companies where valuation levels may be out of sync with fundamental trends. Maxim's coverage universe often represents attractive niche industries where stocks tend to be inefficient. This research coverage fills a void created by the downsized research ranks and shrinking coverage of small- to mid-cap stocks by large investment banks. Maxim Group is a member of FINRA, the MSRB, the SIPC, the ISE, NASDAQ and NYSE Arca.

Evercore Group LLC is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1995 and is a subsidiary of Evercore BD Investco LLC, which is owned by Evercore, Inc. (NYSE: EVR). Evercore Group delivers equity research and equity sales and agency trading execution, in addition to providing wealth and investment management services to high net worth and institutional investors.

KoreFusion LLC provides financial services.

J.V.B. Financial Group LLC (JVP) is a SEC-registered broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2008 and formerly known as PrinceRidge Group LLC and C&Co/PrinceRidge LLC. They are a subsidiary of J.V.B. Financial Group Holdings LP, owned by Cohen & Co., Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: COHN) in the US. With trading desks manned by seasoned professionals, JVB distributes a variety of asset classes, such as Certificates of Deposit, Investment-Grade Corporates, High-Yield Corporates, Government Agencies, US Treasuries, Municipal Bonds, Mortgage-Backed Securities, Asset-Backed Securities, Structured Products, Closed-End Funds, Rates, and Structured Credit. The JVB Dealer Desk provides efficient and widespread distribution of fixed income securities.

The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Inc. provides investment advice, and insurance products and services. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Newark, NJ.

World Bank Institute facilitates action-oriented and participatory programs to promote governance and curb corruption in client countries. The firm's services include controlling corruption, governance and anticorruption diagnostic surveys, investigative journalism and the promotion of press freedom, parliamentary oversight and judicial reform program. The company is headquartered in Washington, DC.

Part of DMDConnects Services, Inc., BLM, Inc. provides healthcare marketing services. The company is based in Chicago, IL. BLM was acquired by DMDConnects Services, Inc. on September 18, 2009.

Establish in 1995 for the sole purpose of serving Long Islanders by an Islander. 12 years later, R-Squared Contracting remains true to its craftsmanship, customer satisfaction and passion for never settling for anything less than 'Perfect'. Satisfaction is not something they go by, something they live by. Theyknow the best form of advertising is customer satisfaction and referrals to others. In fact, over 98% of all Squared Contracting projects are solely by customer referrals. All work that is performed by R Squared with a well as a personal commitment to customers that the job will be done correctly and with care.

JW Asset Management LLC (JW Asset) is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor and hedge fund manager headquartered in Armonk, New York. The firm was founded by Jason Wild in 2003. JW Asset provides discretionary investment management services to certain private funds.