Takis Spiropoulos

CIBC World Markets, Inc. is a full-service Canadian brokerage and investment banking firm headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The firm was founded in 1961 and is a subsidiary of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE, NYSE: CM). CIBC World Markets provides alternative investment managers with premier prime brokerage that brings together trade execution, reporting, research and capital introduction with a view to enhancing efficiencies and profitability.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. (MLPFS) is the SEC-registered broker/dealer subsidiary of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., ultimately held by Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC). The firm was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in New York City. In 2010, Banc of America Securities LLC merged with MLPFS and the firm uses the trade name Bank of America Merrill Lynch. MLPFS's global strategy and economics team serves institutional and individual investors using a wide range of macroeconomic disciplines. Their analysis of global issues provides clients with investment ideas, market forecasts, macro overviews and specific sector recommendations across asset classes, regions and disciplines. Their equity research team conducts fundamental analysis on companies globally and provides institutional and retail clients with industry-specific and in-depth research and analysis on numerous industries. The firm's global fixed-income and equity-linked research focuses on fixed-income and equity derivatives, fixed-income strategy, convertibles, commodities, high-yield, mortgages, municipals and global foreign exchange.