Dennis Ward Stattman

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.

Founded by Lee Bodenhamer, Meridian Management Co., is a registered investment advisor located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The firm was founded in 1977 as a subsidiary of First Variable Life Insurance Co. and became an independent firm in 1983. They are also known as Meridian Investment Advisors. Meridian manages discretionary equity, fixed-income and balanced portfolios using individual securities and/or no-load mutual funds. Their clients include endowments, foundations, company retirement plans, individuals, and high net-worth families.