Ken Kobayashi

DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. (DIMA) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1984 and formerly known as Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. In 2018, they changed their name to DWS as part of the rebranding of Deutsche Asset Management. They are a subsidiary of DWS USA Corp., ultimately held by Deutsche Bank AG (ETR: DBK) in Germany. DIMA provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to various institutional clients. They also provide investment advisory services for their municipal bond strategies through wrap fee programs.

Lazard Asset Management Ltd. (UK) (Lazard AM-UK) is the Great Britain-based asset management subsidiary of Lazard Asset Management (UK) Holdings Ltd., ultimately held by Lazard Ltd. (NYSE: LAZ) in the US. Founded in 1953, the firm is headquartered in London and provides investment management and advisory services to institutional clients, financial intermediaries, charities, family offices, private clients and investment vehicles around the world. Lazard AM-UK offers a comprehensive range of UK onshore and offshore funds that provide access to investment opportunities in major markets worldwide.

Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. (NSC) is a wholly-owned brokerage subsidiary of Nomura Holdings, Inc. (TSE: 8604; NYSE: NMR). Headquartered in Tokyo, the firm was founded in 1925. NSC places a strong emphasis on research, both fundamental and quantitative. In addition to stock and bond underwriting, their activities include IPO and M&A advisory, wealth management, separately managed accounts, fund wrap services, prime brokerage and structured equity finance. Their clients include institutions, hedge funds, private banks and private equity funds as well as corporate clients and retail investors.

AllianceBernstein LP (AB) is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2000, the firm is owned by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Co., ultimately held by Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH). AB provides investment advice to investment companies, pension and profit-sharing plans, banks and thrift institutions, trusts, estates, government agencies, charitable organizations, individuals, corporations and other business entities.

AllianceBernstein Ltd. (ABL) is the Great Britain-based, global investment management subsidiary of AllianceBernstein Preferred Ltd., ultimately held by Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH) in the US. Headquartered in London, the firm was founded in 1990 by David Andrew Steyn. ABL provides investment management and research services to public and private sector institutional clients, retirement and pension funds, banks, insurance companies and high-net worth individuals. They offer a family of globally distributed mutual fund portfolios across all major investment disciplines. The firm is a signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment (UNPRI) and integrates ESG issues into their investment processes.

AllianceBernstein (Australia) Ltd. (ABAL) is the Australian subsidiary of AllianceBernstein Holdings (Cayman) Ltd., ultimately owned by AXA Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH) in the US. The firm is headquartered in Sydney with additional office in Melbourne. They provide diversified investment management services worldwide to institutional, high-net worth individuals and retail investors.

Part of AXA SA, AXA Japan Holding Co., Ltd. is a leading insurance agency based in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese company provides a wide range of insurance products and services, including life insurance, medical insurance, cancer insurance, and insurance for those with chronic illnesses. AXA Japan Holding Co. is a member of the AXA group, the world's number one insurance brand for six consecutive years. The company offers a fulfilling reward system, a special product lineup, and generous management and sales support from AXA. AXA Japan Holding Co. is an expert in general, providing a wide range of experts about cancer, from the treatment of cancer to life support, such as cancer screening, prevention, and treatment, life, family, work, and money. The company supports customers in total before and after they get cancer.

AllianceBernstein Hong Kong Ltd. (AB-Hong Kong) is the wholly-owned, Hong Kong-based investment management subsidiary of AllianceBernstein International LLC, ultimately held by Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH), a financial services and insurance company headquartered in the US. Formerly known as New-Alliance Asset Management (Asia) Ltd., the firm was founded in 1997 as a joint venture between AllianceBernstein Holding LP (NYSE: AB) and Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. (HKG: 0016). AB-Hong Kong provides international asset management services to individuals and institutions in Hong Kong and the region. They are the Hong Kong representative of AllianceBernstein’s Luxembourg-domiciled investment funds.

Eaton Vance Management (International) Ltd. (EVMI) is an asset management firm headquartered in London, UK. The firm was founded in 2001 and is a subsidiary of Eaton Vance Management, ultimately owned by Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) in the US. EVMI helps clients and consultants align their investment needs with different investment strategies – including Income, Equity, Systematic Alpha, and Alternatives.

BofA Securities Japan Co., Ltd. (BofA Securities Japan) is the wholly-owned Japanese brokerage subsidiary of Merrill Lynch International, Inc., which is ultimately owned by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC). Founded in 1998, the firm was formerly known as Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co., Ltd. (MLJS) and changed their name to BofA Securities Co., Ltd. in line with grobal re-branding from BofA Merrill Lynch to BofA in 2020. They subsequently became BofA Securities Japan Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Tokyo, BofA Securities Japan provides stock and bond trading, capital markets, investment banking and other advisory services to corporate clients, financial institutions and government agencies.

Part of Daiwa Securities Group, Inc., Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd. conducts economic research and provides financial and investment advisory services. The company is based in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese company was founded in 2008. Yoriyuki Kusaki has been the CEO of the company since 2016.

Simplex Asset Management Co., Ltd. (SAM) is the wholly-owned investment management subsidiary of Simplex Financial Holdings Co. Ltd. (TYO: 7176) in Japan. Headquartered in Tokyo, the firm was founded in 1999 and provides a range of services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes financial institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals globally.

Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd. is the Japanese broker-dealer subsidiary of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) in the US. Headquartered in Tokyo, the firm was founded in 1984 and provides investment banking, sales & trading, real estate and investment management products and services. It offers securities services including global sales and trading in fixed income and equities, debt and equities financing and investment research. The firm is a provider of products and services in fixed income, equities, global capital markets and investment research to corporations and institutional clients in Japan.

Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd. (MUMSS) is an independent securities brokerage firm headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The firm was founded in 1948 through a joint venture between Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings Co. Ltd. and Morgan Stanley Japan Holdings Co. Ltd. MUMSS offers domestic retail brokerage services to corporate and institutional clients.

Accenture LLC operates as a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. The company is headquartered in Reston, VA.

AXA Investment Managers Italia Sim SpA (AXA IM Italia) is an asset management firm headquartered in Milan, Italy. The firm was founded in 1999 and is a subsidiary of AXA Investment Managers (Paris) SA, ultimately owned by AXA SA (EPA: CS). AXA IM Italia manages investment funds across multiple asset classes for various clients.

T. Rowe Price Hong Kong Ltd. (do-business-as Price Hong Kong), is an asset management firm headquartered in Hong Kong. The firm was founded in 1987 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of T. Rowe Price International Ltd., ultimately held by T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (NYSE: TROW, NASDAQ: TROW) in the US. Price Hong Kong provides a full range of equity, fixed income, and asset allocation strategies across multiple sectors, styles, and regions to institutional investors. They are a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI).

AxA Group SRL is a private company based in Toscanella di Dozza, Italy. The Italian company specializes in the design and production of jib cranes and hydraulic presses. AxA Group SRL also distributes equipment for material handling.

Eaton Vance Advisers International Ltd. (EVAIL) is an investment management firm headquartered in London, UK. The firm was founded in 2015 and in 2021 they became a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley International Holdings, Inc., which is owned by Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) in the US. EVAIL provides discretionary investment management services to clients through pooled investment vehicles and separate accounts.

Generali Investments Partners SpA SGR (Germany) (GIP Germany) is the France-based investment adviser of Générali Investments Partners SpA SGR in Italy. The firm is headquartered in Cologne and was founded in 2018. GIP Germany specializes in managing portfolios based on unconstrained strategies focusing on equity and fixed income investments as well as innovative alternative strategies.