Steve Pierce

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.

Carlson Capital LP is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor and alternative asset management firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The firm was founded by Clinton Carlson in 1993. Carlson Capital provides discretionary investment advisory services to privately-offered pooled investment vehicles and certain managed accounts.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (RJA) is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. The firm was founded in 1962 and is a subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF), a diversified holding company. RJA offers a full array of capital markets services, strategic advice and planning for institutional investors.

Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. (DBSI) is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1971 and is a wholly-owned investment banking and brokerage arm of DB U.S. Financial Markets Holding Corp., ultimately held by Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB, FRA: DBK) in Germany. DBSI provides securities brokerage and investment advisory services to domestic and international private clients and institutions. They are also a primary dealer in US government securities as designated by the Federal Reserve.

Westwood Management Corp. (Westwood) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The firm was founded by Susan Byrne in 1983 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. (NYSE: WHG). Westwood provides portfolio management services to individuals, investment companies, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, state and municipal government entities, and pooled investment vehicles.

The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) is a state-owned pension fund manager headquartered in Austin, Texas. The firm was founded by the Texas Legislature in 1937 to provide service and disability retirement benefits to teachers and administrators of the public school systems of Texas, which include institutions of higher education. In 1949, legislation expanded membership eligibility to include all employees of public education institutions. In 1985, TRS was assigned responsibility to administer health insurance program for public school retirees. The firm invests funds under its stewardship and delivers benefits to members as authorized by the Texas Legislature.

Salient Partners LP (Salient) is an asset management boutique headquartered in Houston, Texas. The firm was founded in 2002 by Andrew Linbeck, Jeremy Radcliffe and Haag Sherman. In 2003, the firm merged with Pinnacle Management & Trust Co. to form Salient Partners & Pinnacle Trust Co. Two years later the firm adopted the name Salient Partners LP. In 2022, they were acquired by Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. (NYSE: WHG). Salient provides real assets, tactical equity alternatives, and private solutions for institutional investors and investment advisors.

Ernst & Young LLP engages in the provision of accounting, assurance, tax, transaction, and advisory services. It specializes in the actuarial, analytics and big data, cyber security, accounting compliance and reporting, center for board matters, international financial reporting standards, country tax advisory, global trade, tax accounting, and climate change and sustainability. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC provides assurance, tax and advisory services. Its services include audit and assurance, consulting, deals, human resources, legal, tax, and family business. The firm also offers accountability, risk management, structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and performance and process improvement. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Buffalo, NY.

Cushing Asset Management LP is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The firm was founded by Jerry Swank in 2003 and they are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swank Capital LLC. Cushing Asset Management provides investment management services on a discretionary basis to high net-worth individuals and institutional investors through Private Funds, Mutual Funds, ETFs, Closed-End Funds and Managed Accounts. They also offer discretionary investment management services as part of various wrap fee programs offered by investment advisers/broker-dealers.

Citadel Advisors LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and hedge fund manager headquartered in Miami, Illinois. The firm was founded in 1990 by Kenneth Griffin and is a wholly-owned by Citadel Advisors Holdings LP, ultimately held by GFH HFEVA LLC. Citadel Advisors manages private investment funds that are offered exclusively to sophisticated investors.

University of Texas Investment Management Co. (UTIMCO) is a not-for-profit foundation headquartered in Austin, Texas. The Foundation was founded in 1996 to oversee investments for The University of Texas and Texas A&M University Systems. UTIMCO manages four major endowment funds under the fiduciary care of the UT System Board of Regents: the Permanent University Fund (PUF), the Permanent Health Fund (PHF), the Long Term Fund (LTF), and the Separately Invested Funds (SIF). The PHF and the LTF are pooled and invest in shares of the General Endowment Fund (GEF).

Blue Sage Service LP (Blue Sage Capital) is a venture capital firm founded in 2003 by Peter Huff and Jim McBride. The firm is headquartered in Austin. Texas.

Digi-Key Corp. distributes electronic components. It also distributes semiconductors, discrete, electromechanical parts. Its products include audio products, batteries, cable assemblies, capacitors, computer & video accessories, connectors, crystals & oscillators, discrete semiconductor products and many more. The company was founded by Ronald A. Stordahl in 1972 and is headquartered in Thief River Falls, MN.

Highland Capital Management LP (Highland) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The firm was founded by James (Jim) Dondero and Mark Okada in 1993. They are owned by the Highland Claimant Trust. Highland acts as an investment adviser or sub-adviser to structured product vehicles (which include but not limited to CLOs and Collateralized Debt Obligations unregistered investment funds, and single Client accounts).

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA (Investment Management) (JPMC-IM) is the investment management division of JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA, ultimately held by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a global financial services firm. Headquartered in New York City, JPMC-IM provides asset management services for corporations, institutional investors, hedge funds, governments, healthcare organizations, educational institutions and affluent individuals.

RBC Capital Markets LLC is a full-service brokerage and financial services firm headquartered in New York City. They are a direct subsidiary of RBC USA Holdco Corp. and a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (TSE, NYSE: RY). Founded in 2010, the firm is comprised of 3 major business lines: the Private Client Group, the Fixed-Income Group and the Clearing and Execution Services Group. The Private Client Group serves individual investors, while the Fixed-Income Group provides services to institutions, municipalities and non-profit organizations. The Clearing and Execution Services Group is a provider of clearing and execution services to independent brokers/dealers throughout the US. RBC Capital Markets focuses on the following sectors: communications, media, consumer/retail, diversified industries, energy, financial institutions, forest products, healthcare, infrastructure finance, mining & metals, real estate, social infrastructure, technology and the US municipal markets.

Duke University is an academic university that offers undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. It also has publications and research services. The university was founded in 1838 and is headquartered in Durham, NC.

Natural Gas Partners LLC (NGP) is a private equity firm, a subsidiary of NGP Energy Capital Management, LLC founded in 1988 by David Russell Albin and Kenneth Alfredo Hersh. The firm is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Part of Energy Transfer LP, Penntex Midstream GP, LLC is a company that provides investment services. The company is based in Houston, TX.

Part of KPMG International Cooperative, KPMG, Inc. provides audit and accounting services. The company is based in Vancouver, Canada. The CEO of the Canadian company is Walter R. Pela.

McKinsey & Co., Inc. provides management consulting services. It specializes in design, marketing and sales, analytics, operations, transformation and restructuring, risk, strategy and corporate finance, and sustainability and resource productivity. The company was founded by James O. McKinsey in 1926 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Stratim Capital LLC (Stratim Capital) is a private equity firm founded in 2004 by Zachary Abrams. The firm is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Ernst & Young provides accounting services. Its services include auditing, accounting, tax and transaction services, assurance and advisory business, online transaction advisory and a wide range of financial services. The company was founded by Arthur Young and Alwin C. Ernst in 1881 and is headquartered in Kansas City, MO.

The WindAcre Partnership LLC (TWP) is an independent registered investment advisor and hedge fund manager headquartered in Houston, Texas. The firm was founded by Snehal Amin in 2013. TWP provides investment advisory services to private investment funds. The Fund's investors may include, but are not limited to, fund of funds, institutions, businesses, pensions, trusts, government entities and individuals meeting certain net worth requirements.

Salient Capital Advisors LLC (Salient) is an asset management firm headquartered in Houston, Texas. The firm was founded when their direct parent, Salient Partners LP acquired RDG Capital LLC in December 2010. Salient provides real assets, tactical equity alternatives, and private solutions for institutional investors and investment advisors.

Ziften Technologies, Inc. provides endpoint threat detection solution. Its products include ziften zenith and ziften zflow. The firm’s solutions include IT operations and security operations. The company was founded by Michael Little and Mark Obrecht in 2010 and is headquartered in Austin, TX.

ACM, Inc. operates a volunteer organization that provides educational and scientific computing services. The private company is based in New York, NY.

Management Consulting, Inc. provides staffing solutions for the federal and state governments, and business and industrial products to companies. Its services include federal services, supply chain management, business and industrial supplies and small business opportunities. The company was founded by Dick Clarke in 1983 and is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA.

WholeSecurity, Inc. provides security software solutions and services. Its solutions help to protect computers from Trojan horses, malicious spyware, and phishing attacks. The company offers solutions to the information technology and other commercial industries. WholeSecurity was founded in 2000 and is located in Austin, TX