Jonathan Maro

UBS Securities LLC is an investment bank and registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1998 as UBS Warburg LLC. They are a subsidiary of UBS Americas Holding LLC, ultimately held by UBS Group AG (SWX: UBSG, NYSE: UBS) in Switzerland. UBS Securities is a primary dealer in US Government securities and provides a full range of investment banking services which includes corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, trading and sales, fixed-income, equity research, private banking, underwriting and prime brokerage operations. The firm also provides advisory services and access to capital markets for corporate, institutional, intermediary and alternative asset management clients.

Part of Energy Aspects Ltd., The G7 Group is a company that provides macroeconomic and political development and advisory services. The company is based in New York, NY. The G7 Group was acquired by Medley Global Advisors LLC, a SUB of Energy Aspects Ltd. from Beat Holdings Ltd. on November 10, 2008.

BlackRock Asset Management Canada Ltd. (BAMC) is a Canadian fund-of-funds manager headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The firm was founded in 2009 due to a merger of BlackRock and Barclays Global Investors. They are a subsidiary of BlackRock Canada Holdings ULC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) in the US. BAMC manages assets for clients in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. Their client base includes corporate, public, union and industry pension plans, governments, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, foundations, charities, corporations, official institutions, sovereign wealth funds, banks, financial professionals, and individuals worldwide.

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.

MetLife Investment Management LLC (MIM) is a registered investment advisor headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey. The firm was founded in 2006 and formerly known as MetLife Investment Advisors LLC. They are a subsidiary of MetLife Investment Management Holdings LLC, which is owned by MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET). MIM provides advisory services to institutional clients, pension and profit-sharing plans (which include government plans), sovereign funds, limited partnerships, and MetLife affiliated accounts such as MetLife’s domestic insurance company subsidiaries, registered investment companies, and pooled investment vehicles.

Blackrock Multi-Sector Opportunities Trust II is a closed-end investment fund. It engages in investment activities. It provides total return, invests its total assets in fixed income securities, and other financial instruments that pay periodic income. The company was founded on May 11, 2018 and is headquartered in Wilmington, DE.

BlackRock Funds III is an open-end management investment company, which engages in the provision of investment activities. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

BlackRock Preferred Partners LLC is a closed-end management investment company. Its investment objective is to seek total return. The company was founded on September 1, 2011 is headquartered in Wilmington, DE.

Financial Architects, Inc., dba Meyer Capital Group (MCG), is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Marlton, New Jersey. Founded in 1988, the firm was acquired in 2023 by HighTower Advisors LLC, a subsidiary of Hightower Holding LLC. MCG provides discretionary and/or non-discretionary investment advisory services individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, business entities, trusts and charitable organizations.

University of Southern California is a private research university that mainly offers undergraduate, graduate & other higher education. The university was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA.

Standard & Poor's Investment Advisory Services LLC (SPIAS) is investment research firm and registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of S&P Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPGI), formerly McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. SPIAS’ advisory services are generally offered to institutions (e.g., broker-dealers, investment advisers, investment companies and other financial institutions). SPIAS does not generally provide its advisory services directly to retail clients, but its services may be used by its clients in advising their own underlying clients, which may include retail clients. SPIAS also provides advisory consulting services to institutional clients and investment managers-of-investment funds, and investment sub-advisory services for registered investment companies, including open-end mutual funds and other institutions. S&P Global's operations consist of three reportable segments: S&P Global Ratings, S&P Global Platts, and S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Global Ratings is an independent provider of credit ratings, research and analytics to investors, issuers and market participants. It includes the NRSRO and certain other ratings-related businesses. S&P Global Platts provides essential price data, analytics, and industry insight that enable commodities markets to perform with greater transparency and efficiency. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a global index provider that maintains a wide variety of indices to meet an array of investor needs. In 2016, CFRA acquired S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Equity and Fund Research business (formerly known as S&P Capital IQ and SNL) from S&P Global, Inc.

Pacific Investment Management Co. LLC (PIMCO) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Newport Beach, California. Founded in 1971, the firm is a subsidiary of Allianz Asset Management of America LP and their ultimate parent is Allianz SE (ETR: ALV), a German global insurance company. PIMCO provides discretionary investment management services to a global client base.

Part of World Gold Council Ltd., World Gold Trust Services LLC functions as gold-backed exchange-traded funds. The company is based in New York, NY. Joseph Roland Cavatoni has been the CEO of the company since 2016.

Northwestern University is a private institution founded in 1851 to serve the Northwest Territory, an area that now includes the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota. Northwestern has three campuses