Michael Joseph Bray

Windward Capital Management Co. (Windward) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm was founded in 1996 and is a subsidiary of The Windward Capital Group. In 2023, the firm and its parent company were acquired by Windward Group Holding Co. LLC. Windward provides investment advice to individuals; pension and profit-sharing plans; trusts, estates or charitable organizations; and corporations or business entities.

State Street Research & Management Company (SSR), with a history dating back to 1924, is one of the nation's first investment management organizations. The Boston-based firm is a subsidiary of MetLife (NYSE:MET), one of the world's largest financial services companies. The firm, together with its affiliate SSR Realty, actively manages stock, bond, balanced and real estate portfolios for both institutional and individual investors. SSR manages pension money for many of the largest U.S. corporate pension plans. SSR also manages money for public and union pension plans, foundations, endowments, and mutual funds.

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.

Allspring Global Investments LLC (Allspring) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to November 1, 2021, the firm was known as Wells Capital Management, Inc. They are a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC, ultimately held by Allspring Group Holdings LLC. Allspring provides investment management services to mutual funds, private funds, collective investment trusts (CITs), pooled vehicles, and other institutional clients and high net-worth individuals.