Charles F. Dolan School of Business event at New York Stock Exchange | Press Releases

The New York Stock Exchange will serve as a classroom for a day and a place to network Wednesday, Oct. 11 at an event co-sponsored by the Charles F. Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and the Connecticut Hedge Fund Association (CTHFA), the leading educational and networking forum for all of the stakeholders in the Connecticut hedge fund industry.

Alumni, financial industry professionals and students are invited to a symposium on the value of hedge funds and a networking reception that follows. The event will take place at the NYSE, located at 20 Broad Street in New York City, beginning at 4:30 p.m., with a panel presentation exploring the lessons learned from past financial crises and examining the resiliency of global financial systems.

The event, entitled "How Would Hedge Funds Behave in a Crisis?: Systemic Risk Yesterday and Today," will provide an overview of how investor interest in absolute return investment management is fueling the rapid growth of the $1.3 trillion hedge fund industry. John Thain, chief executive officer, NYSE, will give the opening remarks.

The symposium panel will feature Art Samberg, founder and chairman, Pequot Capital; William McDonough, vice chairman, Merrill Lynch, and former president of the New York Federal Reserve; Hung Tran, chairman, International Capital Markets Department, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Blythe Masters, chief financial officer, J.P. Morgan Chase Investment Bank; and Eileen Clarkin Rominger, chief investment officer, Goldman Sachs, who graduated from Fairfield University in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in English.

Bruce McGuire, president, CTHFA, said the distinguished panel will examine the bond market paralysis of 1998, and discuss how the lessons learned then may help us to avert disaster today, even as the use of leverage and derivatives continues to accelerate, and another prominent hedge fund has announced the loss of billions due to ill-timed bets on commodities futures. "We hope that our event will help managers, investors and regulators to better understand today's issues and risks, and provide a valuable learning experience for Fairfield University students, faculty, and friends."

Norman A. Solomon, Ph. D., Dean of the Dolan School, said the event will provide attendees with practical and vital knowledge about hedge funds, while offering the opportunity to make stellar connections in the industry. "The floor of the New York Stock Exchange will undoubtedly serve as a dynamic learning environment. This most impressive panel should be both engaging and incredibly informative about today's economy and the lessons learned from financial crises of recent years. "

The panel will examine how the stock market crash of 1987 and the bond market paralysis of 1998 tested the limits of global financial systems. In 1998, thanks to the crucial efforts of the New York Fed and others, global financial disaster was staved off.

Today, by using leverage and trading more frequently, the impact of hedge funds on global financial systems far exceeds their stated assets under management. Meanwhile, the rise of hedge funds has corresponded with the tremendous growth of the Credit Derivative Market. The panel also will discuss if there are new systemic risks that are not fully appreciated, and whether current financial systems are equipped to handle crises.

To register, please call (203) 319-1904 or visit www.cthedge.org. The cost is $75 for CTHFA members, and $150 for non-members. The panel presentation will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. A cocktail networking reception will be held on the NYSE Trading Floor from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.