Stephan D. Howaldt

Hermes Focus Asset Management Europe Ltd. (HFAME) is a subsidiary of Hermes Fund Managers Ltd., ultimately owned by BT Group plc (LSE: BT.A; NYSE: BT). The firm operates in close partnership with their fellow subsidiary Hermes Focus Asset Management Ltd., and both firms are in the process of merging. Based in London, HFAME manages the Hermes European Focus Fund. Their clients include pension funds, insurance companies, government entities, financial institutions, charities and endowments.

Hermes Focus Asset Management Ltd. (HFAM) is the asset management subsidiary of RWC Focus Asset Management Ltd.., itself a subsidiary of RWC Partners Ltd. in Great Britain. The Hermes group originated as the investment management team of the Post Office Staff Superannuation Fund, and was formally established in 1983 when the fund split into the Post Office and British Telecommunication Staff Superannuation Schemes. In 1995 the Hermes group became a wholly-owned subsidiary of their largest client BT and HFAM was established in 1998. Located in London, the firm provides investment management services to institutional clients, primarily in Great Britain. They manage shareholder engagement funds and have established a strategic alliance with US-based Relational Investors. They also manage a Japanese shareholder engagement fund jointly with Japan-based Nissay Asset Management Corp.