CHICAGO, June 2, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Ibbotson Associates, a leading provider of investment tools and knowledge, today launched a hedge fund advisory services department for financial intermediaries, including asset managers, insurance companies, registered investment advisors, brokers and private banks. The services include hedge fund due diligence and selection, portfolio construction and risk management.
"For more than a quarter of a century, Ibbotson has been helping money managers and financial product developers better understand and manage their risk through asset allocation. The company has conducted extensive research on the optimal design and implementation of asset allocation policies using traditional and alternative assets. These new hedge fund advisory services are a natural extension of this work," said Michael Henkel, president of Ibbotson Associates.
The company has hired Ezra Zask to be director of the hedge fund advisory group. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Zask has founded, organized, managed and consulted to numerous hedge funds and hedge funds of funds, including those of S&P and Zurich Financial. Mr. Zask is a lecturer at Princeton University's Bendheim Center for Finance, and has taught at Carnegie Mellon's graduate school. Previously, Mr. Zask was a senior vice president with Manufacturers Hanover and Mellon Bank with responsibility for trading and capital markets. Mr. Zask holds a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.A. and M. Phil. from Columbia University.
About Ibbotson Associates
Ibbotson Associates, founded by Professor Roger Ibbotson in 1977, is a leading authority on asset allocation, providing products and services to help investment professionals obtain, manage and retain assets.
The company's business lines include investment consulting and research; planning and analysis software; wealth forecasting; educational services and a widely used line of NASD-reviewed presentation materials. With offices in Chicago, New York and Tokyo, Ibbotson provides integrated investment knowledge, leading-edge technology, multi-conceptual education and a variety of sales presentation solutions. Ibbotson markets its integrated product line of investment analytical tools and services to institutional money managers, plan sponsors and consultants for quantitative analysis, high level decision making and presentations. The company's clients also include financial planners, brokers, mutual fund firms, private bankers and small money managers.