Brent S. Smith

Franklin Bissett Investment Management (FBIM) is the Canadian investment management division of Franklin Templeton Investment Corp., an indirectly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE: BEN) in the US. Franklin Resources is a holding company that, together with its various subsidiaries, is referred to as Franklin Templeton Investments, a global investment management organization offering investment services under the Franklin, Templeton, Mutual Series, Franklin Bissett, Fiduciary Trust, Darby, Balanced Equity Management, K2, LibertyShares and Edinburgh Partners brand names. FBIM was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The firm manages equity, fixed income, and balanced mutual funds for Canadian investors.

Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. (FTIC) is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The firm was founded in 2000 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Templeton International, Inc., ultimately owned by Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE: BEN). FTIC provides investment advisory and portfolio management services with clients in jurisdictions worldwide, which include registered open-end and closed-end funds and unregistered funds, as well as separate accounts for institutional and high net-worth clients.