Allan Gregory Stepa

Founded in 1994, Salman Partners, Inc. is an independent, research-driven investment dealer serving institutional, corporate and individual clients. Their analysts provide coverage of companies in mining, oil and gas, forestry, coal, industrial products and services, consumer products, special situations, technology, healthcare and biotechnology. Salman Partners is headquartered in Vancouver with additional offices in Calgary and Toronto.

Shell Oil Co. manufactures petrochemicals and distributes gas and oil products. The company was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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.

Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc. provides membership network for learning and expertise. The firm promotes knowledge exchange through conversations, small group convenings, mentorships, surveys, and other interactions with its network of experts. The company was founded by Alexander Saint-Amand, Thomas D. Lehrman, and Mark Gerson in 1998 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Dundee Securities Corp. is a broker/dealer located in Toronto with additional offices in Montreal and Calgary. The firm is a subsidiary of Dundee Wealth Management, Inc. (TSE: DW). Dundee Securities is a full service investment dealer engaged in wealth management and financial advisory services, retail brokerage, institutional sales and trading, equity research and investment banking. The firm operates a sell-side institutional sales and trading floor. Dundee Securities is a member of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada and the CIPF.

Desjardins Securities, Inc. is the broker/dealer arm of the Desjardins Holding Financier, Inc., ultimately held by Le Mouvement des caisses Desjardins in Canada. Founded in 1991, the firm is headquartered in Montréal and has an additional office in Toronto. Desjardins Securities offers businesses and institutions with a complete range of securities brokerage products and services through its investment advisors and its Disnat Online Brokerage division. The firm is an approved participant on the Montreal Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange, as well as a participating member of the TSX Venture Exchange. In addition, Desjardins Securities is a member of both the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF).