Peter Maletis

Merk Investments LLC is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The firm was founded by Alexander “Axel” Merk in 2000. Merk Investments provides discretionary investment advice to registered investment companies and a closed-end fund.

Franklin Advisers, Inc. is a mutual fund manager and registered investment advisor headquartered in San Mateo, California. The firm was founded in 1985 and is a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE: BEN), a holding company that, together with its various subsidiaries is referred to as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Advisers provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to US and non-US, registered open-end and closed-end funds and unregistered funds, as well as separate accounts.

Marathon Resource Investments LLC is a hedge fund manager located in San Francisco. They manage the Marathon Resource Partners I LP and the Marathon Resource Partners III Precious Metals Fund LP

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Banc of America Securities (BAS) is the investment banking subsidiary of Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC). The firm provides both the domestic and international equity and investment banking markets, and pursues a strategy pioneered by Citigroup that combines corporate lending with investment banking advice and services. They provide high-yield debt underwriting and leveraged finance, in addition to industry coverage groups such as healthcare, media and telecom, financial institutions, real estate and gaming. BAS also does a significant amount of work for Financial Sponsors, or private equity firms, often financing leveraged transactions. Following the strategy of Goldman Sachs, the firm lacks a standalone mergers and acquisitions department, instead employing mergers and acquisitions senior bankers throughout the industry coverage groups. The firm is registered as a broker/dealer with the SEC, is a member of the NYSE, and the NASD. The use of Banc in the BAS's name is indicative of the fact that the company is not a bank, and their deposits and other holdings are not insured by the FDIC.

ASA Gold & Precious Metals Ltd. engages in the investment in the securities of companies engaged in the exploration, mining, and processing of gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, and other precious metals. The company was founded by Charles Engelhard on June 12, 1958 and is headquartered in Portland, ME.

ASA Gold & Precious Metals Ltd. (Mutual Fund Manager) (ASA) is the mutual fund management division of ASA Gold & Precious Metals Ltd. (NYSE: ASA), a closed-end, non-diversified precious metals and mining fund headquartered in San Mateo, California. The firm was founded in Bermuda and is the successor to a closed-end investment company of the same name organized in the Republic of South Africa in 1958. ASA focuses solely on the precious metals and mining industry.