Douglas T. Breeden is co-founder and chairman emeritus of Smith Breeden Associates and William W. Priest Professor of Finance at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He has previously served as dean of the Fuqua School of Business and taught at several academic institutions. Professor Breeden is founding editor of the Journal of Fixed Income and his research on consumption and intertemporal asset pricing is frequently cited. He also served as associate editor at several other journals including the Journal of Finance and Journal of Financial Economics. Professor Breeden holds a BS degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD degree in finance from Stanford University.

Shaykh Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo is chief Shariah officer at Shariah Capital. His extensive experience with Islamic transactional law includes a position as adviser of Islamic education for the president of Pakistan. Mr. DeLorenzo’s work has been published in several books and journals, and he is the author of the three-volume Compendium of Legal Opinions on the Operations of Islamic Banks. He has served as a Shariah advisor to dozens of international financial entities and has been featured in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and NewsWeek. Mr. DeLorenzo holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and completed research for his doctoral dissertation at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur Pakistan.

Thomas G. Doe is founder and CEO of Municipal Market Advisors, an independent research and strategy firm in the fixed-income industry. Previously, he was a manager and analyst at Municipal Market Data. Mr. Doe is a frequent speaker at events hosted by leading groups in the municipal industry, discussing current conditions impacting investors and issuers in the municipal cash and derivative markets. He has also served on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, the regulatory entity of the municipal securities industry. Mr. Doe holds an undergraduate degree from Colgate University and a master’s degree from Harvard University.

Alan H. Dorsey, CFA, is managing director and head of the alternative investment solutions group at Neuberger Investment Management. He also serves as alternative investment strategist, advising Neuberger’s institutional clients and providing alternative investment strategies tailored to the institutional marketplace. Previously, Mr. Dorsey was managing director and director of nontraditional investments and research at RogersCasey and director of research for Bryant Park Capital. He is the author of numerous publications on selecting, implementing, and managing investments, including his most recent book Active Alpha: A Portfolio Approach to Selecting and Managing Alternative Investments. Mr. Dorsey holds a BA degree in economics from Wesleyan University.

Sean J. Egan is founding partner and managing director of Egan-Jones Ratings Company, which was organized for the purpose of providing timely, accurate credit ratings. Previously, he worked in KPMG’s risk-assessment business and in structured finance at Chemical Bank of New York. Mr. Egan has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He holds a degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an MBA from Harvard University.

Diane Garnick is investment strategist for Invesco, where she directs the firm’s Global Investment Solutions and Research team. Previously, she was a global derivatives strategist at Merrill Lynch. Ms. Garnick works to ensure that CEOs, chief investment officers, and trustees understand the implications of their investment decisions prior to implementing them. She has given seminars and published hundreds of reports on portfolio construction, volatility, corporate actions, equity indices, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), futures, options, accounting, and taxation. Ms. Garnick has been named to the Institutional Investor All-Star Team. She holds a degree in accounting from Hofstra University.

Max Holmes is founder and chief investment officer of Plainfield Asset Management LLC. He is also an adjunct professor of finance at New York University Stern Graduate School of Business. Previously, Mr. Holmes was the head of the distressed securities group and a managing director of D.E. Shaw & Company, where he served as co-portfolio manager for D.E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios. Prior to joining D.E. Shaw, he had a variety of jobs involving high-yield and distressed securities at RBC Capital Markets, Gleacher NatWest, Salomon Brothers, and Drexel Burnham Lambert. He holds a BA degree from Harvard College, a JD degree from Columbia Law School, and an MBA degree from Columbia Business School.

Maria Elena Lagomasino is CEO of GenSpring Family Offices, LLC. Previously, she was chairman and CEO of JP Morgan Private Bank and head of worldwide private banking at Chase Manhattan Private Bank. Ms. Lagomasino serves on the boards of The Coca-Cola Company, Avon Products, and the Lincoln Center Theater, and she is a trustee on the board of the National Geographic Society. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and The Economic Club of New York. Ms. Lagomasino holds a BA degree from Manhattanville College, an MS degree from Columbia University, and an MBA from Fordham University.

Daniel W. Latimore, CFA, is executive director of the IBM Institute for Business Value. Previously, he worked at Mainspring and at Liberty Mutual Group. Mr. Latimore has authored dozens of strategy studies with a focus on developing relevant, actionable recommendations that consider the strengths and limitations of institutions considering how to use technology to improve business value. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is regularly quoted in the financial press. Mr. Latimore holds a BA degree in philosophy and government from Dartmouth College and a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in business and government and economics from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Michael Lewis is a journalist and best-selling author of several books including Liar’s Poker, Moneyball, and The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. He currently writes regular articles as a contributor to The New York Times Magazine, Bloomberg, Vanity Fair, and Slate. Mr. Lewis recently finished editing Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity. Prior to his career as an author, he worked as a bond trader at Salomon Brothers during the early days of the mortgage market. Mr. Lewis holds a degree in art history from Princeton University and a master’s degree from The London School of Economics and Political Science.

Andrew W. Lo is Harris & Harris Group Professor of Finance at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of MIT’s Laboratory for Financial Engineering. Previously, he served as the W.P. Carey Assistant Professor of Finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Lo is a co-author of the books The Econometrics of Financial Markets and A Non-Random Walk Down Wall Street. He has received numerous awards, including a Graham and Dodd Award from the Financial Analysts Journal and the Paul A. Samuelson Award from TIAA-CREF.He is currently a governor of the Boston Stock Exchange, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and founder and chief scientific officer of AlphaSimplex Group. Professor Lo holds a PhD in economics from Harvard University.

Michael J. Mauboussin is chief investment strategist at Legg Mason Capital Management and serves as an adjunct professor of finance at Columbia Business School. Previously, he was managing director and chief U.S. investment strategist at Credit Suisse First Boston. He has also served as president of the Consumer Analyst Group of New York and was repeatedly named to Institutional Investor’s All-America Research Team and the Wall Street Journal All-Star Survey in the food industry group. Mr. Mauboussin is author of the book More Than You Know: Finding Financial Wisdom in Unconventional Places — Updated and Expanded and co-author of Expectations Investing: Reading Stock Prices for Better Returns. In 2004, he was named one of SmartMoney magazine’s Power 30, a list of “the most influential people on Wall Street.” Mr. Mauboussin holds a BA in government from Georgetown University.

John Mauldin is CEO and founder of Millennium Wave Advisors LLC. Previously, he was CEO of the American Bureau of Economic Research and co-founder of Adopting Children Together, Inc. Mr. Mauldin is a frequent contributor to numerous publications and author of three books, including Bull’s Eye Investing: Targeting Real Returns in a Smoke and Mirrors Market. He is also editor of the economic letter Thoughts from the Frontline. Mr. Mauldin serves on the board of directors of the International Children’s Relief Fund. He holds a BA degree from Rice University and a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Russell Napier, ASIP, is an author and a consultant with CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. Previously, he worked full time as Asian strategist for CLSA and began his investment career at Baillie Gifford managing funds in the Japanese, U.S., and Asian markets. Mr. Napier writes on issues affecting global equity markets and is the author of Anatomy of the Bear, a book that looks at swings in U.S. equity valuations since 1881 and tries to explain the key drivers of such swings. He has also established a course titled “A Practical History of the Financial Markets,” taught through Edinburgh Business School.

Barbara G. Novick is founder and senior adviser to the office of the chairman of BlackRock, Inc., where she oversees global business development, marketing, and client service across equity, fixed income, liquidity, alternative investment, and real estate products for institutional and individual investors and their intermediaries worldwide. Previously, she was vice president in the mortgage products group at The First Boston Corporation and worked at Morgan Stanley. Ms. Novick’s published work includes a series of BlackRock Special Reports, First Boston's Mortgage-Related Securities Guide and several articles for Standard & Poor's CreditWeek. She holds a BA degree in economics from Cornell University.

Robin S. Pellish is a founding member and CEO of Rocaton Investment Advisors, LLC. Robin is chair of Rocaton’s board of managers and serves as a consultant working with institutional investors on issues including asset allocation, investment structure design, and investment manager selection and monitoring. Previously, Ms. Pellish worked as senior consultant and senior managing director at Barra RogersCasey, as plan sponsor at Armtek Corporation, and in the corporate treasury departments of both PepsiCo and General Motors. Ms. Pellish holds a BA in economics from Union College and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago.

William Poole is senior fellow at the Cato Institute, distinguished scholar in residence at the University of Delaware, and senior advisor to Merk Investments. Previously, he was president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Herbert H. Goldberger Professor of Economics at Brown University. Dr. Poole is a Bloomberg contributor, appearing frequently on Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg radio, and author of two books, Money and the Economy: A Monetarist View and Principles of Economics. He has served in a number of academic and governmental roles and received several honors including the Adam Smith Award from the National Association for Business Economics. Dr. Poole holds an AB degree from Swarthmore College and MBA and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago.

Nouriel Roubini is professor of economics and international business at Stern School of Business at New York University as well as chairman and founder of RGE Monitor. Previously, he served as senior economist for international affairs at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and as a senior adviser at the U.S. Treasury Department. Professor Roubini’s published work on international macroeconomic issues includes the book Bailouts or Bail-ins?: Responding to Financial Crises in the Emerging Markets, and he has been profiled in The New York Times Magazine. He holds an undergraduate degree from Bocconi University and a PhD in economics from Harvard University.

Ronald J. Ryan, CFA, is CEO and founder of Ryan ALM, Inc. Previously, he was founder and president of Ryan Labs and Ryan Financial Strategy Group and director of fixed-income research at Lehman Brothers. Mr. Ryan has received a number of awards, including the 2001 Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy outstanding article award from The Journal of Portfolio Management, and the 2006 William F. Sharpe Indexing Achievement Award for lifetime achievement from the Index Business Association. He holds BBA and MBA degrees from Loyola University.

Derek A. Sasveld, CFA, is senior investment strategist at Strategic Investment Group. He is responsible for Strategic’s active investment strategy and works closely with investment, research, and analytical staff in developing, implementing, and communicating investment policy and active portfolio management for the firm’s clients. Previously, Mr. Sasveld was managing director and senior asset allocation strategist for UBS Global Asset Management (formerly Brinson Partners) and senior consultant at Ibbotson Associates. He holds a BS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Peter Schiff is president and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital, Inc. Previously, he worked at Shearson Lehman Brothers. Mr. Schiff is the author of two books, Crash Proof: How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse and The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets: How to Keep Your Portfolio Up When the Market Is Down. He has been quoted in several newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Christian Science Monitor. Mr. Schiff also appears regularly on television networks such as CNBC, CNN, and Bloomberg Television. He holds a degree in finance and accounting from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dov Seidman is founder and CEO of LRN, which helps global organizations develop ethics and compliance programs. He is the author of the book HOW: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything ... in Business (and in Life) and writes a monthly column on the HOW perspective for BusinessWeek.com. Mr. Seidman has spoken at a number of conferences and events and has been featured in such publications as BusinessWeek and The New York Times. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy from University of California, Los Angeles; a BA in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University; and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

Marc A. Siegel is a board member serving on the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Previously, he led the accounting research and analysis team at RiskMetrics Group and was director of research at the Center for Financial Research & Analysis. Mr. Siegel has served on the FASB Investor Technical Advisory Committee and been a frequent guest on CNBC and Bloomberg Television. His articles have been published in the CPA Journal and the Journal of Accountancy. Mr. Siegel holds a BS degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Liz Ann Sonders is senior vice president and chief investment strategist for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., and chair of their investment strategy council. Previously, she held managing director positions at U.S. Trust and at Avatar Associates. Ms. Sonders is a regular guest on several television programs including Good Morning America, Lehrer News Hour, World News Tonight, and Nightly Business Report. She was named one of the “Power 30 in Business” by SmartMoney and is regularly quoted in publications such as BusinessWeek, Financial Times, and Barron’s. Ms. Sonders holds a BA degree in economics and political science from the University of Delaware and an MBA degree in finance from Fordham University.

David M. Stein is managing director and chief investment officer of Parametric Portfolio Associates, an investment management firm. Previously, he held senior research, development, and portfolio management positions at GTE Investment Management, The Vanguard Group, and IBM Retirement Funds. Dr. Stein has served on the After-Tax Subcommittee of the AIMR-PPS Standards Implementation Committee and on the advisory board of The Journal of Wealth Management. His work has been published in Mathematics of Operations Research, The Journal of Wealth Management and The Journal of Portfolio Management. Dr. Stein holds an MSc degree from the University of Witwatersrand and a PhD in applied mathematics from Harvard University.

James B. Stewart is the author of several best-selling books, including Den of Thieves and DisneyWar: The Battle for the Magic Kingdom. He is also an editor-at-large of SmartMoney magazine, a contributing editor for SmartMoney.com, and a reporter-at-large for The New Yorker. In 1988, Mr. Stewart received a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the stock market crash and insider trading. He is Bloomberg Professor of Business Journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Mr. Stewart is a graduate of Harvard Law School and DePauw University.

Sheldon M. Stone is a founding member of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., an institutional money management firm specializing in alternative investment strategies. Previously, he helped establish the high-yield bond department at The TCW Group and worked as a high-yield bond credit analyst at Citibank. Mr. Stone is trustee and chair of the investment committee at Bowdoin College. He has also served as chair of the national advisory board for the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Stone holds an AB degree from Bowdoin College and an MBA degree in accounting and finance from Columbia University. 

Richard H. Thaler is Robert P. Gwinn Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics and director of the Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also co-founder of Fuller & Thaler Asset Management, Inc., and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Professor Thaler is the author of several books and journal articles on the subject of behavioral economics. He holds a BA degree from Case Western Reserve University as well as MS and PhD degrees in economics from the University of Rochester.

Whitney Tilson is founder and managing partner of T2 Partners LLC and the Tilson Mutual Funds. He is also co-founder, chairman and co-editor-in-chief of Value Investor Insight, an investment newsletter, and co-founder and chairman of the Value Investing Congress, a biannual investment conference. Mr. Tilson’s written work includes articles written for the Motley Fool and TheStreet.com as well as a regular column on value investing for the Financial Times and Kiplinger’s. He has spoken widely on value investing and behavioral finance and has been profiled by the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Mr. Tilson holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Marvin Zonis is professor emeritus at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a member of the U.S. Comptroller General’s board of advisors for the Government Accountability Office. Professor Zonis has written several books and a number of articles on globalization, digital technologies, emerging markets, Middle Eastern politics, the oil industry, Russia, and U.S. foreign policy that appear in such publications as The New York Times, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, and the Boston Globe. Professor Zonis holds a PhD in political science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.