Quantitative Panel:
Moderator:    
Hugh Crowther, Principal Crowther Investments

The principal of the firm, Hugh Lagan Crowther, has over 20 years experience with investment processes, technology and marketing. He has worked on the buy, sell, vendor and academic sides of the investment business, as well as serving in fiduciary capacities. He began his investment career in 1982 at Value Line, where he managed and marketed the Institutional Quantitative Equity Research and Data business. From 1987 to 1995 he built and led the Analytical Software and Data Services group at Kidder, Peabody & Co., which developed and marketed global quantitative equity, fixed income, and derivative research, management, and trading products and tools.  From 1995 to 2001 he developed and managed international portfolio analytics, equity, fixed income, and derivative research, risk management, global benchmarks, and market data systems for Fidelity Management & Research. Since 2001, he has been directing quantitative research, building and managing portfolio analytics and models; creating training and education; evaluating, acquiring, integrating and managing research and investment technology for asset management, hedge fund, broker / dealer, financial engineering, portfolio manufacturing, custody, and vendor consulting clients. (http://www.crowther-investment.com/aboutthefirm.html)

Panelists:
Elliot Noma, Ph.D, Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, Asset Alliance
As Chief Risk Officer, Dr. Noma is responsible for the risk oversight of Asset Alliance's various product offerings, including issues of valuation and quantification of trading and position risk for various strategies and hedging opportunities. Dr. Noma is a member of the Company's Investment Committee, Risk Management Oversight Committee and the Index Committee for the CTA Index Fund. He also is a member of the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) examination committee within the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). Prior to joining Asset Alliance, Dr. Noma was Senior Risk Analyst, Fixed Income Products, for Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (2000-2003). Earlier in his career, Dr. Noma was a Director of Corporate Risk Management overseeing derivative and fixed income products within Deutsche Bank, Americas (1995-1999), and developed Fixed Income market strategies at, J.P. Morgan Securities (1993-1995). Dr. Noma spent four years in the Psychology faculty at Rutgers University (1983-1986) and his research has been published in numerous industry journals and scholarly periodicals. Dr. Noma graduated from Dartmouth College in 1972 with a BA in Mathematics. He received M.A's in Mathematics and Psychology in 1979 and a Ph.D in Mathematical Psychology in 1982 from The University of Michigan. In 1990, Dr. Noma received an Advanced Professional Certificate in Finance from New York University. (http://www.assetalliance.com/management)

Russ Salisbury, Managing Director, Woodcliff Company, LLC
Mr. Salisbury has over 30 years of experience in the venture capital, mezzanine investment and structured finance industries.  In 1985 he joined State Street Bank and later became the General Manager of State Street's London Branch.  Upon his return to Boston he established the Structured Finance Department at State Street which specialized in providing private placement, credit guarantee and investment banking services to issuers of asset-backed securities.  Mr. Salisbury developed and implemented the strategy which resulted in the establishment of Clipper Receivables Corp, the first multi-bank, multi-seller asset-backed commercial paper.  He also established and managed, the Auto Finance Group, which provides innovative financial services to independent auto finance companies.  In 1999 Mr. Salisbury left State Street Bank to form Woodcliff Company, LLC.  This boutique investment bank provides consulting and investment banking services to financial services companies that use the asset-backed securities markets.  Mr. Salisbury has completed transactions include structuring and placement of residual interests for independent auto finance companies, structuring and placement with a commercial paper conduit of marketing fees for a major credit card marketing company, establishment of SPE to securitize charged off credit cards, structuring and placement of subordinated notes issued by credit card master trust, structuring and placement of warehouse facility and structuring and placement of subordinated notes for small ticket leasing company.  Mr. Salisbury is also a frequent guest speaker at the Financial Modeling class at Babson College.

Charles Wang, Senior Portfolio Manager and Director of Research of Acadian Asset Management 
Mr. Wang holds a Ph.D. from Yale's School of Management, a M.S. from the University of Massachusetts and a B.S. in Mathematics from Beijing University. He has worked as a senior quantitative equity analyst for a number of investment firms. His professional career has included work on stock valuation, country selection, currency forecasting, as well as strategic research on active/passive investments and index construction. At Acadian, Charles is responsible for the company's emerging market funds as well as research agenda and model development. Charles' paper (co-authored with Professor Roger Ibbotson of Yale) "Global Asset Allocation: Philosophy, Process, and Performance" was published in Spring 2000 issue of the Journal of Investing. The article won Institutional Investor's best paper award. Charles has also published in leading Chinese journals on institutional asset management and portfolio management.

Private Equity/Venture Capital Panel:
Panelists:       
Michael T. Richter, Partner, Environmental Capital Partners
Mr. Richter, an avowed environmentalist, currently serves on the board of Riverkeeper, a leading environmental NGO organized by Robert Kennedy Jr., and is a frequent speaker at environmental events.  Prior to joining ECP, he enjoyed a successful 15 year career with the New York Rangers where he was a three time NHL All-Star and in 1994 led the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup.  In international competition, Mr. Richter led the United States to a gold medal in the 1996 World Cup play, where he was named the Most Valuable Player.  He also participated in three Olympics with Team USA, winning a silver medal in 2002.  While with the Rangers, Mr. Richter set numerous single season and single game records.  In 2004, his jersey (#35) became only the third retired by the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.  Mr. Richter attended the University of Wisconsin for two years prior to joining the U.S. Olympic Team and entering the NHL draft.  In 2004, Mr. Richter enrolled in Yale University and will receive his degree in December 2007.  (http://www.ecpcapital.com/Team.html)

Chuck McDermott, General Partner, RockPort Capital Partners.
Mr. McDermott began working in the energy and environmental area in 1984, when he joined Citizens Energy Corporation as Manager of Project Development, helping to pioneer the creation of the nation's first bulk electric power trading company. He later served as Campaign Director and then as Chief of Staff for a U.S. Congressman from 1986-1990, directing all political, constituent, and legislative matters. In 1990, Mr. McDermott joined the government relations staff of Waste Management, Inc., the world’s largest environmental services company, and was made Vice President and officer of the corporation in 1993 responsible for the company’s federal advocacy before the White House, U.S. Congress, and other federal agencies. He relocated to Boston in 1998 and helped form RockPort’s merchant bank in that year and the venture fund in 2001.

He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Advanced Electron Beams, Renaissance Lighting, Soliant Energy (Formerly Practical Instruments) and Tioga Energy. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors and President of the CEO Coalition to Advance Sustainable Technologies, a member of the Board of Advisors to the Cleantech Venture Network, Chairman of the Gridwise Alliance and Board Member of the Flax Trust, a business incubator in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Mr. McDermott studied at Yale University before becoming a producer, performer, writer and music company executive, recording three albums, and founding Homecoming Records with John Stewart in 1982.
http://www.rockportcap.com/ourteam.html 

Mark A. Lester, Managing Director, Forge Partners, LLC Managing General Partner, Provenance Venture Partners, LLC
Mark has over 24 years of leadership, management, strategic business development and operations experience, including 16 years experience in entrepreneurial services and technology development and delivery in the technology and life sciences industries. He has served as senior executive at two startup ventures based in the Bostonarea, and played a key role in the founding, development and strategic sale of one of these to a publicly-traded company. He currently serves on the board of two Provenance portfolio companies.