Benedetto DeNigris

Founded in 2010, Topeka Capital Markets is a brokerage firm located in New York City. Topeka provides a broad set of solutions to meet an expanding spectrum of client needs. They offer a wide array of services including: (1) domestic and international equity trading strategy and execution (2) equity derivative and trading strategies (3) real-time execution cost analysis (4) corporate buybacks (5) program and algorithmic strategies (6) pre- and post-trade analytics (7) transition management (8) commission management (9) corporate access services and (10) institutional equity research. Topeka Capital Markets' institutional equity research focuses on macroeconomic research, strategic research, technical research, commodity research, fundamental sector and company specific research and specialty research services.

Founded in 1939, Pershing LLC is a broker/dealer headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. The firm is a subsidiary of the Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK). The firm helps financial services firms and advisors succeed by providing the technology, operational, trading, investment and practice management solutions they need to serve investors. Pershing offers securities processing, trading and operations management, investment technology, asset-gathering solutions and practice management support. The firm serves a wide range of financial organizations including: banks, discount brokerages, full-service brokerages, registered investment advisors, independent contractors, institutional firms, global firms and small- to mid-sized firms. Pershing also offers financial products including annuities, mutual funds and money funds, as well as business tools, cash management services, investor and lending services, retirement products and wealth management. In addition, they offer trading and execution services in listed and OTC securities, fixed-income securities and mutual funds.

Nomura Asset Management USA, Inc. (NAM-USA) is a registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1997 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd., which is wholly owned by Nomura Holdings, Inc. (TYO: 8604; NYSE: NMR) in Japan. NAM-USA offers discretionary investment management services to institutional clients such as corporate pension plans, US registered investment companies and non-US pooled investment vehicles.