AIMR Recognizes Investment Industry Leaders

The winners are:

• Stephen Ross , co-chairman of Roll and Ross Asset Management Corporation (Roll and Ross) and the Franco Modigliani Professor of Finance and Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – received the “Nicholas Molodvsky Award” for outstanding contributions of such significance as to change the direction of the profession and to raise it to higher standards of accomplishment. Professor Ross is probably best known for having invented the Arbitrage Pricing Theory and the Theory of Agency, and as the co-discoverer of risk neutral pricing and of the binomial model for pricing derivatives.

• Roger G. Ibbotson  and Rex A. Sinquefield were jointly presented the “James R. Vertin Award” for producing a body of research notable for its relevance and enduring value to investment professionals. Ibbotson is chairman of Ibbotson Associates, which he founded in 1977, while Sinquefield is Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Dimensional Fund Advisors Inc.

• Eduardo S. Schwartz  and Mark Moon received the “Graham and Dodd Award” for excellence in financial writing. Schwartz is a professor of real estate and finance at UCLA, while Moon is a portfolio manager with Fuller & Thaler Asset Management.

• Frank. K. Reilly , CFA, was presented with the “Daniel J. Forrestal III Leadership Award” for his pursuit of excellence in professional ethics and standards of practice, and for providing outstanding leadership in elevating the integrity and competence of the investment profession.

• Rossa O’Reilly,  CFA, managing director of CIBC WorldMarkets, received the “C. Stewart Sheppard Award” for his outstanding contributions, dedicated effort and inspiring leadership in fostering the education of professional investors.

• Robert B. Hardway, Jr. , CFA, former managing director in the Los Angeles office of Scudder, Stevens and Clark, received the “Society Leader Award”, which recognizes those who have served as examples to other analyst-society leaders by using innovative ideas or solutions to address the challenges confronting analyst societies today, and for their overall contributions in serving the membership of AIMR at the local level.

• Ole Jacobson , managing director of Nordea Investment Management and chairman of the Danish Society of Investment Professionals, was presented the “Thomas L. Hansberger Global Investment Award” for outstanding contributions to the global investment profession.

• Patricia A. McConnell , senior managing director of Bear, Stearns, was recognized with the “Distinguished Service Award” for her leadership and outstanding service as a member of AIMR’s Board of Governors and past chair of AIMR’s Financial Accounting Policies Committee.

• Dean LeBaron , CFA, founder of Batterymarch Financial Management, received the “Award for Professional Excellence”, recognizing his pioneering advances in the application of computer technology and modeling techniques, first in the U.S. market and then in international and emerging markets.

• W. Van Harlow , Ph.D., CFA, President and Chief Investment Officer of Fidelity Investments’ Strategic Advisers, and editor-in-chief of the Financial Analyst Journal, was presented the “Special Service Award.”

The awards were made at AIMR’s annual meeting this week in Los Angeles.