PALM BEACH, FL, May 15, 2012 (TopGun Press) – Brendan Wood International today awarded 14 TopGun designations to exceptional Europe based investment professionals in Technology, Telecommunication and Media. TopGun Investment Minds were selected by their counterparties namely, Brendan Wood’s Panel of leading sell-side analysts and institutional sales professionals. With over 100 candidates for the TopGun Designation in European TMT, only 14 achieved the ultimate accolade and appeared as a class of their own, essentially singled out for the quality of their investment thinking which underpins the terminology ‘TopGun Investment Mind’ for this award.

While the Panel vote attests to the investment expertise of TopGuns it is equally apparent from the commentary that these exceptional individuals contribute not only to the intellectual depth but also to the civility of the industry. BWI’s “Investment Mind” Panel comprises more than 700 of the world’s top sell-side analysts and institutional sales professionals from 137 firms, representing over 90% of institutional trading. Investment debriefings with these individuals, focused on investor confidence, take place throughout the year. In addition to their rigorous analysis of the companies they cover, they respond to a series of questions which identify the ‘thought leaders’ on the investment side of the business whose opinions and insight are most highly thought of and influential.

The 2011/2012 European TopGun Investment Minds in TMT are (in alphabetical order by last name):

Jacob Aarup Andersen: TPG Capital
Anthony Burton: GLG Partners LP
Luca Corona: Pioneer Investment Management
Andre Desautels: Wellington Management Co.
Chris Dyer: Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Frederic Fayolle: DWS Investment
Jan Keuppens: Robeco Group
Philippe Kiewiet De Jonge: Norges Bank Investment Management
Bruno Lippens: Pictet Asset Management Ltd
Iain McNaught: Schroder Investment Management
Sean Salji: Citadel Capital Corp
Carlos Siegrist: Banco Santander
Amanda Sisson: JP Morgan Asset Management
Andreas Wagenhaeuser: Deka Investment GmbH

TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS Learn more about the implications of this worldwide poll by contacting the project leaders. Brendan Wood International is a Performance and Career Advisor assisting both firms and individuals. The firm has conducted more than 1,000 offsites and management strategy sessions for financial institutions and corporations worldwide. Brendan Wood seeks out optimal financial service relationships for corporations and places TopGun executives and investment professionals in senior rainmaker assignments.

Related Links:

www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com
www.twitter.com/brendanwoodintl

Contact:
Ajay Walia
awalia@brendanwood.com

+1 561 515 6126
+1 416 924 8110

14th May, 2012 – Citing longstanding intransigence and a lack of response to their concerns, institutional shareholders were unmoved by 1st quarter earnings announced by CP. The defence mounted by CP’s Cleghorn and Green failed to alter the feelings of institutional shareholders in the Brendan Wood poll.

Results effective as at May 11th, 2012, institutional investors representing over 50% of the vote:

Shareholders...........................11May-17Apr-16Mar-23Feb
Supporting Pershing.....................79% - 75% - 73% - 72%
Supporting a Change But Not Harrison....14% - 19% - 18% - 14%
Supporting CP Board.....................07% - 06% - 09% - 14%
 % institutional shareholders polled

“According to investors, Canadian Pacific’s Board and Management have failed to treat their shareholders as owners,” commented Brendan Wood. “In fairness to CP’s existing management, the old school of management appointed director slates has been around for a long long time. Directors invisible to the shareholders and perceiving themselves to be part of, if not accountable to management is nothing new. A great many companies throughout the world operate in this kind of culture which has been the norm. However, the rules are changing. As CP and others have learned of late, directors who aggressively campaign for their jobs can and often will win over a slate. Investors are rapidly beginning to see the boardroom as their investment tool to affect strategy and create a culture of performance,” said Stewart Borden, Brendan Wood Partner for Canada.

The latest results underpin the reasons for the shareholder dissent that Pershing Square tapped into. Investors report high levels of discontent with CP’s performance relative to the Global Transportation Sector which is one of thirty global sectors in the Brendan Wood Shareholder Confidence Index. The rankings for CP are collectively poor when compared to the 51 Transportation companies on the index. The CP Board is being held to account for the world ranking of CP’s most senior management, namely last in the sector. However poor the ratings, the disapproval of shareholders has been inflated by the perceived absence of a fulsome response from existing management, which according to investors has, by turns, been unaware, denied or disputed the existence of the problem. Most investors in the poll cite the efforts of CP as being ‘too little too late’. These results indicate that the existing management group had an opportunity to win back shareholder confidence. Unawareness and denial were the undoing of that opportunity according to the investors polled. Again, in fairness, shareholders are only recently holding boards to account on a wide scale and CP is a prolific case due to the timing of its performance shortfall relative to shareholder expectations. The data assigns much responsibility for the intended vote to the response of CP management. “Anything perceived to be approaching arrogance and denial can become confidence killers,” said Sal Scamardo Managing Director, Brendan Wood New York.

In the world index investor dispositions and moods reflect a number of significant trends. “Setting CP shareholders aside, investors worldwide do not regard titles, privileges and academic, government even business pedigree as a substitute for performance. Even the most dispassionate investors are aroused by a seemingly terse board attitude which signals ‘if you don’t like it, you can sell’. The traditional fiefdoms of what investors see as somewhat freeloading, if not parasitic board membership are under quiet siege throughout the world. Likewise political appointees who know little about driving a business but claim schooling in governance as a rite of passage are highly vulnerable to the level of scrutiny at work in today’s markets. Escalating director fees, free stock and the absence of shared risk with common investors are becoming omens. Investors are looking for boards who drive success – proper governance is not considered a board achievement, it is a fundamental right,” said Mr Wood.

CP Global Shareholder Confidence Rank – Transportation Index (Out of 51 Companies) as of 11-May-2012

42nd – Corporate Strategy
51st – CEO (last in sector)
42nd – CFO
45th – Board
29th – Short Term Growth Potential
21st – Long Term Growth Potential
18th – Disclosure / Reporting
44th – Balance Sheet
24th – Commitment to Own Stock
46th – Senior Management

As to CP’s reaction to earlier polls, Stewart Borden, Managing Partner, Brendan Wood Canada commented “CP has twice attacked its own shareholder ratings, without inquiring into the substance or even communicating with our firm. CP was welcome to visit and discuss the data, we even gave the directors and officers a report at no cost in order to alert them to the seriousness of shareholders’ concerns.”

Contact:
Stewart Borden, Partner, Brendan Wood International
stewartb@brendanwood.com
+1-416-924-8110

Henry S. Brenzel, Panel Manager, Brendan Wood International
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com
+1-416-924-8110

www.brendanwood.com
www.twitter.com/brendanwoodintl

Brendan Wood International Announces TopGun Investment Minds Financial Stocks – Europe

PALM BEACH, FL, May 10, 2012 (TOPGUN PRESS) – Brendan Wood today awarded 7 TopGun designations to exceptional Europe based investment professionals in Financial Stocks. TopGun Investment Minds were selected by their counterparties namely, BWI’s Panel of leading sell-side analysts and sales professionals. “Over 110 investment professionals were nominated from over 60 institutions by our Panel but these 7 appeared in a class of their own” commented Stewart Borden, Partner, Brendan Wood International.

While the Panel vote attests to the investment expertise of TopGuns, it is equally apparent from the commentary that these exceptional individuals contribute not only to the intellectual depth but also to the civility of the industry. BWI’s “Investment Mind” Panel comprises more than 700 of the world’s top sell-side analysts and institutional sales professionals from 137 firms, representing over 90% of institutional trading. Investment debriefings with these individuals, focused on investor confidence, take place throughout the year. In addition to their rigorous analysis of the companies they cover, they respond to a series of questions which identify the ‘thought leaders’ on the investment side of the business whose opinions and insight are most highly thought of and influential.

The 2011/2012 European TopGun Investment Minds in Financial Stocks are (in alphabetical order):

Sam Elsokari – SAC Capital Advisors
Rafael Garcia Arbej – Och Ziff Capital Management Group
Andy Griffiths – Capital Group Companies
Tom Hedges – Brummer & Partners
Steven Kirk – Lansdowne Capital Ltd.
Joerg Sponer – Capital Group Companies
Mitchell Todd – T Rowe Price Group

TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS Learn more about the implications of this worldwide poll by contacting the project leaders. Brendan Wood International is a Performance and Career Advisor assisting both firms and individuals. The firm has conducted more than 1,000 offsites and management strategy sessions for financial institutions and corporations worldwide. Brendan Wood seeks out optimal financial service relationships for corporations and places TopGun executives and investment professionals in senior rainmaker assignments.

Related Links:
www.brendanwood.com
www.topgunpress.com
www.twitter.com/brendanwoodintl

Contact:
Stewart Borden
Partner, Brendan Wood International
+1 416 924 8110
stewartb@brendanwood.com

PALM BEACH, FL, May 8, 2012 (TOPGUN PRESS) – Brendan Wood today awarded 8 TopGun designations to exceptional Europe based investment professionals in Consumer Products. TopGun Investment Minds were selected by their counterparties namely, BWI’s Panel of leading sell-side analysts and sales professionals. “Almost 60 investment professionals were nominated from nearly 50 institutions by our Panel for the TopGun designation in European Consumer Products, but these 8 achieved the ultimate accolade and appeared in a class of their own, essentially singled out for the quality of their investment thinking which underpins the terminology ‘TopGun Investment Mind’ for this award,” commented Amanda Knott, Manager of BWI’s Global Consumer Products Panel.

While the Panel vote attests to the investment expertise of TopGuns it is equally apparent from the commentary that these exceptional individuals contribute not only to the intellectual depth but also to the civility of the industry. BWI’s “Investment Mind” Panel comprises more than 700 of the world’s top sell-side analysts and institutional sales professionals from 137 firms, representing over 90% of institutional trading. Investment debriefings with these individuals, focused on investor confidence, take place throughout the year. In addition to their rigorous analysis of the companies they cover, they respond to a series of questions which identify the ‘thought leaders’ on the investment side of the business whose opinions and insight are most highly thought of and influential.

The 2011/2012 European TopGun Investment Minds in Consumer Products are (in alphabetical order):

Juliette Amos; Capital Group Companies, United Kingdom
Robin Asquith; JP Morgan Asset Management, United Kingdom
Jacques Chazelle; Amundi Asset Management, France
Andrew Gowen; Och-Ziff Management Europe, United Kingdom
Stuart Price; JP Morgan Asset Management, United Kingdom
Stuart Reeve; BlackRock Inc, United Kingdom
Chiara Terzaghi; Moore Capital Management, United Kingdom
Huub van der Riet; ING Investment Management, Netherlands

TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS Learn more about the implications of this worldwide poll by contacting the project leaders. Brendan Wood International is a Performance and Career Advisor assisting both firms and individuals. The firm has conducted more than 1,000 offsites and management strategy sessions for financial institutions and corporations worldwide. Brendan Wood seeks out optimal financial service relationships for corporations and places TopGun executives and investment professionals in senior rainmaker assignments.

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Amanda Knott
Manager – BWI Global Consumer Products Panel
+1 416 924 8110
aknott@brendanwood.com

Brendan Wood International Announces TopGun Investment Minds Metals and Mining – Europe

Six Investment Professionals Achieve Coveted TopGun Status

PALM BEACH, FL, May 3, 2012 (TOPGUN PRESS) – Brendan Wood today awarded 6 TopGun designations to exceptional Europe based investment professionals in Metals and Mining. TopGun Investment Minds were selected by their counterparties namely, BWI’s Panel of leading sell-side analysts and sales professionals. “More than 100 investment professionals were nominated by our Panel for the TopGun designation in European Metals and Mining, but only 6 achieved the ultimate accolade and appeared in a class of their own, essentially singled out for the quality of their investment thinking which underpins the terminology ‘TopGun Investment Mind’ for this award,” commented Jordan Novak, Managing Director Brendan Wood International.

While the Panel vote attests to the investment expertise of TopGuns it is equally apparent from the commentary that these exceptional individuals contribute not only to the intellectual depth but also to the civility of the industry. BWI’s “Investment Mind” Panel comprises more than 700 of the world’s top sell-side analysts and institutional sales professionals from 137 firms, representing over 90% of institutional trading. Investment debriefings with these individuals, focused on investor confidence, take place throughout the year. In addition to their rigorous analysis of the companies they cover, they respond to a series of questions which identify the ‘thought leaders’ on the investment side of the business whose opinions and insight are most highly thought of and influential.

The 2011/2012 European TopGun Investment Minds in Metals and Mining are (in alphabetical order):

Robert Donald; Soros Fund Management LLC; United Kingdom
Carl Esprey; GLG Partners LP, United Kingdom
David Field; Carmignac Gestion, France
Evy Hambro; BlackRock Inc, United Kingdom
Jim Rutherford; Capital Group Companies, United Kingdom
Douglas Upton; Capital Group Companies, United Kingdom

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Jordan Novak
561 515 6126
416 924 8110
jnovak@brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Henry S. Brenzel
561 515 6126
416 924 8110
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com

Seven Investment Professionals Achieve Coveted TopGun Status

PALM BEACH, FL, May 2, 2012 (TOPGUN PRESS) – Brendan Wood today awarded 7 TopGun designations to exceptional Europe based investment professionals in Energy. TopGun Investment Minds were selected by their counterparties namely, BWI’s Panel of leading sell-side analysts and sales professionals. “More than 100 investment professionals were nominated by our Panel for the TopGun designation in European Energy, but only 7 achieved the ultimate accolade and appeared in a class of their own, essentially singled out for the quality of their investment thinking which underpins the terminology ‘TopGun Investment Mind’ for this award,” commented Jordan Novak, Managing Director Brendan Wood International.

While the Panel vote attests to the investment expertise of TopGuns it is equally apparent from the commentary that these exceptional individuals contribute not only to the intellectual depth but also to the civility of the industry. BWI’s “Investment Mind” Panel comprises more than 700 of the world’s top sell-side analysts and institutional sales professionals from 137 firms, representing over 90% of institutional trading. Investment debriefings with these individuals, focused on investor confidence, take place throughout the year. In addition to their rigorous analysis of the companies they cover, they respond to a series of questions which identify the ‘thought leaders’ on the investment side of the business whose opinions and insight are most highly thought of and influential.

The 2011/2012 European TopGun Investment Minds in Energy are (in alphabetical order):

Anthony Cheung; Pictet Asset Management Ltd, United Kingdom
Steven Ho; JP Morgan Asset Management, United Kingdom
Mark Lacey; Investec Asset Management, United Kingdom
Craig Pennington; T Rowe Price Group, United Kingdom
Jonathan Waghorn; Investec Asset Management, United Kingdom
Charles Whall; Newton Investment Management, United Kingdom
Christopher Wheaton; RCM – Allianz Global Investors, United Kingdom

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Jordan Novak
561 515 6126
416 924 8110
jnovak@brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Henry S. Brenzel
561 515 6126
416 924 8110
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com

Pershing Square Tightens Grip on CP Vote.
CP Stonewall May Signal an End to the Era of Invisible Boards

26th April, 2012 – Brendan Wood releases results of investor poll effective as at April 17th, 2012.

Shareholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Apr12 . 16Mar12 . 23Feb12
Supporting Pershing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75% – 73% – 72%
Supporting a Change But Not Harrison: . 19% – 18% – 14%
Supporting CP Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06% – 09% – 14%
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . % institutional shareholders polled

With double the number of shareholders reporting since the last poll, the results continue to favour Pershing’s initiative. These results are based upon responses of +/-45% of the voting shares.

The figures represent a shareholder protest of potentially overwhelming proportions. Quoted in response to the Brendan Wood poll earlier this year a Canadian Pacific Railway spokesperson commented that “The only vote that counts is at the annual meeting”. Investors, however, seem hard pressed to accept CP board’s near dismissal of expressions of shareholder dissatisfaction.

Shareholder Confidence rankings of the CP board dropped from 28th place to 41st of the 46 names on Brendan Wood’s Global Transportation Index, as investors hold CP’s board accountable for both the strategy and management performance at the company. Fred Green, CEO ranked 45th of 46 CEO’s in the latest poll. Hunter Harrison, nominated by shareholders as a TopGun CEO for his performance at Canadian National Railway, is Pershing’s senior management candidate. The TopGun CEO designation is awarded to +/- 8% of CEO’s of large cap companies worldwide.

CP’s board members remained somewhat aloof during the Pershing campaign. CP board members have neither mounted a vigorous defence nor an effective counter-attack to Pershing’s initiative. Notwithstanding modest appearances by CP directors, the absence of a truly passionate battle for their seats weighed in on the poll. Investors, having registered their own discontent, anticipated a far more spirited campaign from the well paid board of their company. CP’s spokesperson, as quoted, further diminished the relevance of the poll saying “We were approached to buy consulting services from Brendan Wood but decided not to spend our shareholders’ money”. This contradiction, given the dire news of the poll, was not lost on the reader nor on Brendan Wood who responded, “Well before these words parted CP’s lips, I had personally delivered a full report of the poll to all CP Directors and Officers including Corporate Counsel and Investor Relations at no charge whatsoever to CP. Under the circumstances, it was delivered to CP’s board members in the shareholder interest. Frankly, we hoped CP’s board would be inspired to hit the campaign trail, connect with investors and intensify the debate. The report was also sent to CP shareholders to whom BWI has its first duty. Our ‘Voice of the Shareholder’ Directors Reports are offered by subscription, to the boards of all BWI Index companies” said Mr. Wood.

Recent events in the capital markets underpin the rising frequency of investor-led challenges to boards. The Brendan Wood Shareholder data underlines that the world’s highest rated boards are accompanied by TopGun Strategy and Management. The global data affirms that boards have the power to drive large companies to excellence, whether they use it or not. Exceptional companies typically have TopGun boards. “Most boards on the Brendan Wood Index, although large signature global companies, have been insufficiently familiar to shareholders. This is changing very fast. If a board remains aloof and heaven forbid arrogant, modern shareholders are now fully cognizant of their power to make that change” said Mr. Wood.

“CP shareholders are greatly interested in the company and what other major shareholders think and feel about the organization and the Pershing initiative. I have had fulsome discussions with a great many investors. We are at loss to understand why CP’s board and/or management did not come in and have a coffee and talk about the concerns of their shareholders in the poll” said Stewart Borden, Managing Partner, Brendan Wood Canada.

Brendan Wood and partners worldwide debriefs of investors continue non-stop throughout the year. There are now 2,000 companies on BWI’s Shareholder Confidence Index, a thousand of which are already the subject of quarterly reports, the remainder, as well as a Global Rising Star group, coming on stream in the months ahead. The firm plans to pay special attention as the votes are counted at CP’s upcoming AGM.

CP Investor Poll – Addendum

We have received a few inquiries from journalists who are unfamiliar with the Brendan Wood International model. Formed in 1970, Brendan Wood International finances all of its intelligence programs globally through partner capital. The firm does not conduct research on-demand for any client. These two disciplines eliminate any manipulation. Brendan Wood and partners conduct several thousand debriefs each year, compile the results and make reports available to all capital markets competitors and shareholders.

The Shareholder Confidence reports referred to in today’s BWI’s release concerning CP’s proxy debate are derived from the Global Transportation Sector data financed exclusively by Brendan Wood International. Fees for access to BWI Shareholder Confidence data are $12,000 quarterly. Any investor or management can subscribe.

BWI does not act for or represent either existing management or any shareholder whatsoever in the debate. BWI’s role is to collect data responsibly and govern itself objectively with the shareholder’s interest in mind. Shareholders have trusted BWI to do nothing less for 40 years.

Contact:
Stewart Borden, Partner, Brendan Wood International
stewartb@brendanwood.com
+1-416-924-8110

Henry S. Brenzel, Panel Manager, Brendan Wood International
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com
+1-416-924-8110

Six Investment Professionals Achieve Coveted TopGun Status

PALM BEACH, FL, April 20, 2012 (TopGun Press) – Brendan Wood, today awarded six TopGun designations to exceptional Europe based investment professionals in Healthcare. TopGuns were selected by their counter parties namely, BWI’s Panel of the leading sell-side analysts and sales professionals. “With over 150 candidates for the TopGun Designation in European Healthcare, only six achieved the ultimate accolade. More than 50 investment professionals were nominated by our Panel but these six proved to be in a class of their own, singled out for the quality of their investment thinking, hence the terminology ‘TopGun Investment Mind’ for this award,” commented Amanda Knott, Manager of BWI’s Global Healthcare Panel.

While the Panel vote attests to the investment expertise of TopGuns it is equally apparent from the commentary that these exceptional individuals contribute not only to the intellectual depth but also to the civility of the industry. BWI’s “Investment Mind” Panel comprises more than 700 of the world’s top sell-side analysts and institutional sales professionals from 137 firms, representing over 90% of institutional trading. Investment debriefings with these individuals, focused on investor confidence, take place throughout the year. In addition to their rigorous analysis of the companies they cover, they respond to a series of questions about investment thinking in the industry and the buy-side investment professionals who impress and inspire them as leaders of thought.

The 2011/2012 European TopGun Investment Minds in Healthcare are (in alphabetical order):

Laura Balan; Capital Group Companies, United Kingdom
Mark Becker; Fidelity Worldwide Investment, United Kingdom
Isabel Buccellati; Formerly of AllianceBernstein, United Kingdom
Anne Marden; JP Morgan Asset Management; United Kingdom
Thilo Rohrhirsch; DEKA Investment GmbH; Germany
Luca Tobagi; UBI Pramerica; Italy

TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS Learn more about the implications of this worldwide poll by contacting the project leaders. Brendan Wood International is a Performance and Career Advisor assisting both firms and individuals. The firm has conducted more than 1,000 offsites and management strategy sessions for financial institutions and corporations worldwide. Brendan Wood seeks out optimal financial service relationships for corporations and places TopGun executives and investment professionals in senior rainmaker assignments.

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Amanda Knott
Manager – BWI Global Healthcare Panel
+1 416 924 8110
aknott@brendanwood.com

PALM BEACH, FL, April 18th, 2012 (TOPGUN PRESS) – Brendan Wood and Partners are pleased to announce the 2011-2012 results of its polling of the world’s most influential shareholders. The data identifying TopGun CEOs is part of Brendan Wood’s comprehensive debrief of investors concerning eleven core investment criteria one of which is the performance of the CEO. TopGun CEOs are clearly those who not only perform in a way that impresses but they also have the interest of their shareholders’ uppermost in their thinking. The TopGun CEO designation is an expression of the highest level of confidence in the CEO by the owners of the company, namely, the investors who own the stock. “There are eleven core criteria which drive the future performance of a company. In these times, which we refer to as the “age of full disclosure”, the board of directors is increasingly accountable for the strategy and performance culture of the companies whose shareholders they represent. Their choice of CEO and the rapport between the company and the shareholders is the critical execution link. In many cases, the CEO is the architect of strategy” said Brendan Wood, Chairman, Brendan Wood International.

In some instances, a TopGun CEO will be selected for leading a company out of the doldrums or repairing its inefficiencies. Others are chosen because they lead the industry. In either case, the common factor in investor selection of TopGun CEOs is performance. “TopGun CEOs realize who owns the company and behave accordingly. BottomGun CEOs and their retinue appear to view the company as a fiefdom and investors as an annoyance. The trend amongst investors to make boards more accountable to owners and less toward management has had a positive effect on the number of CEOs vying for higher levels of performance. There are simply more TopGun nominations this year” commented Mr. Wood.

There are approximately 3000 investors in Brendan Wood’s Worldwide Panel and approximately 2000 companies on the Brendan Wood’s Worldwide Shareholder Confidence Index.

Platinum = Top 8% to 10% of Industry
Gold and Silver = Top 16% to 20% of Industry

Worldwide Energy

United States

TopGun CEO Platinum Class
James Hackett – Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
G. Steven Farris – Apache Corporation
Timothy Leach – Concho Resources Incorporation
Merrill Miller, Jr. – National Oilwell Varco
Charles Davidson – Noble Energy

TopGun CEO Gold Class:
Mark Papa – EOG Resources, Inc.
Stephen Chazen – Occidental Petroleum Corp
Anthony Best – SM Energy Company
Paal Kibsgaard – Schlumberger Limited

TopGun CEO Silver Class:
John Watson – Chevron Corporation
Phil Rykhoek – Denbury Resources Inc.
John Richels – Devon Energy Corporation
Rex Tillerson – Exxon Mobil Corporation
Cindy Taylor – Oil States Internationals Inc.
W. Matt Ralls – Rowan Companies, Inc.
Steven Newman – Transocean Ltd.

Europe

TopGun CEO Platinum Class:
Frank Chapman – BG Group PLC
Peter Voser – Royal Dutch Shell PLC
John Fredriksen – SeaDrill Limited

Canada

TopGun CEO Platinum Class:
John Dielwart – ARC Resources Limited
Anthony Marino – Baytex Energy Corporation
Keith MacPhail – Bonavista Energy Corporation
Steve Laut – Canadian Natural Resources Limited
David Wilson – Celtic Exploration Limited

TopGun CEO Gold Class:
Brian Ferguson – Cenovus Energy Inc.
Scott Saxberg – Crescent Point Energy Corporation
Michael Rose – Tourmaline Oil Corporation
Lorenzo Donadeo – Vermilion Energy Inc.

TopGun CEO Silver Class:
Patrick Daniel – Enbridge Inc.
Clayton Riddell – Paramount Resources Limited
Derek Evans – Pengrowth Energy Corporation
Richard George – Suncor Energy Inc.
John Manzoni – Talisman Energy Inc.

Pacific Rim

TopGun CEO Platinum Class:
Rahul Dhir – Cairn India Limited
Tianpu Wang – China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation
Grant King – Origin Energy Limited
Jiping Zhou – PetroChina Company Limited
Pailin Chuchottaworn – PTT Public Company Limited

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Jordan Novak
561 515 6126
416 924 8110
jnovak@brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Henry S. Brenzel
561 515 6126
416 924 8110
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com

BRENDAN WOOD REPORTS EARLY POLL OF CANADIAN PACIFIC SHAREHOLDERS 91% WANT CHANGE, 73% FAVOR PERSHING SQUARE

Palm Beach FL, March 16, 2012
Later today, Brendan Wood International will release the first in a series of Special Reports to Investors on shareholder confidence in Canadian Pacific Railway.
Based upon debriefs with shareholders who speak for about 1/3 of CP Shares and a broad cross section of the base, the poll results confirm a low level of confidence amongst CP shareowners and an openness to Pershing’s proposed board changes. The polling figures are part of The Brendan Wood Shareholder Confidence Index which monitors confidence in 2,000 public companies worldwide. The confidence index evaluates 11 factors which drive investors’ ownership commitments as well as voting intentions in the case of companies facing change. Canadian Pacific has been placed near the bottom of Brendan Wood’s Worldwide Transportation Index for some time. The key influences on CP’s results are investor views of CP’s Strategy and Senior Management. The results represent the mindset of shareholders at time of debriefing. The polls predict change due to shareowner sell offs, profit taking, the maturing campaigns of aspiring and defending board members, shifting investor attitudes and possibly by the entry of a rival third party investor(s) among other factors.

The upcoming Brendan Wood Reports will focus on key issues in the campaign which drive shareholder confidence and resultant shifts in the polls. “We see this as a story of significance to our panel of investors throughout the world, it’s importance outreaches Canada and the Transportation Index and speaks to the future boards of directors universally”, said Chairman Brendan Wood.
“I feel for Mr. Cleghorn, his board and Mr. Green in particular. They are exceptional professionals, simply the first to experience the end of a culture of privacy, if not invisibility of boards. What we call the ‘age of full disclosure’ makes the longstanding traditions of board aloofness totally untenable. Investors take governance for granted, see it as ritual. Today’s investors want TopGun Strategy and TopGun Management. They look for hard driving boards who take full responsibility, know the business and want to compete” added Wood.

Shareholder reaction to a more animated response from CP’s board, including the appearance of two CP directors on the campaign trail this week, is being monitored for effect. “It is great to see CP directors interacting with the shareholders who elect them. John Cleghorn and the board will get investor attention and respect for campaigning hard. The challenge for Mr. Cleghorn and his team is to take hold of the issues, convince shareholders that they are not fighting the tape” said Stewart Borden, Managing Partner of Brendan Wood Canada. “We feel that the next round of issues will include shareholder perception of the loyalty of both groups, opinion of Mr. Harrison, executive compensation, who’s got real skin in the game and a host of newer concerns which attach to CP stock in the $70′s as opposed to the $40′s. The Brendan Wood team will be reporting for the duration”, added Borden.

Contact:
Stewart Borden, Partner, Brendan Wood International
stewartb@brendanwood.com
+1-416-924-8110

Henry S. Brenzel, Panel Manager, Brendan Wood International
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com
+1-416-924-8110

www.topgunpress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Feb 16th, 2012 – Brendan Wood International releases the first of a series of Special Reports for investors in Canadian Pacific Railways Limited.

According to investors, confidence in Canadian Pacific senior management ranked in the bottom 5% amongst the 41 firms in Brendan Wood International’s Global Transportation Index. Mr. Ackman’s proactivity has placed the management and board in a defensive position, having forced management to visit shareholders and better explain their leadership and strategy for the company. Mr. Ackman has therefore become a contender in shareholder’s minds for the position of one who understood their concerns better than the directors who supposedly represented those shareholders.

Brendan Wood, global Chairman of Brendan Wood International, said “although the demand for Canadian Pacific stock is heightened for obvious reasons, confidence in the management and board ranked close to last in the sector. However Canadian Pacific’s board, led by former Royal Bank CEO John Cleghorn, is a highly experienced leadership group, whose full response to this challenge is yet to unfold. For the present however, investors appear to approve the wakeup call to management from Mr. Ackman.”

“Mr. Ackman has accurately targeted the categories in which Canadian Pacific has been ranking weakest with shareholders over the past year”, said Stewart Borden, Canadian Partner. The following table lists Canadian Pacific’s rankings in the Global Transportation Index by category.

CP RANK (Out of 41 companies) / Shareholder Confidence Driver
40th – Senior Management
38th – CEO
38th – Acquisition Capability / Balance Sheet
33rd – Strategy
32nd – CFO
28th – Board
15th – Long-Term Growth Potential
13th – Short-Term Growth Potential
10th – Disclosure
5th – Upward Potential of Stock

Culture of Invisibility

“Mr. Ackman’s intervention and that of other similarly proactive investors signal the erosion of a ‘culture of invisibility’ in which most boards carry out their duties unseen by shareholders. Whereas the modern board is fully accountable for a company’s strategy, leadership and performance culture, shareholders are increasingly aware of boards who do not effectively ‘drive the business’ making sure that strategy and management are fully competitive. As yet, shareholders are not accusing Canadian Pacific of an ornamental board, apathetic to issues and absorbed in governance rituals. It seems that Canadian Pacific’s board will become visible, if not proactive, amongst investors. Much depends on how well their vision for the business is articulated. Undoubtedly, Mr. Cleghorn will be further expressing the board’s position in relation to its strategy and operating issues.” says Wood.

Hunter Harrison, former CEO of CN Rail was designated a TopGun by the Brendan Wood Panel of Investors in 2010, as was Claude Mongeau his successor. There are, nonetheless, shareholder questions about Mr. Harrison’s ability to lead the Canadian Pacific organization, and Mr. Harrison has yet to face challenges from investors about his loyalty and commitment versus opportunism.

Mr. Ackman, sometimes touted as a potential dark horse candidate for the U.S. Republican nomination, is undoubtedly an inspired and highly ambitious individual. This promises to be a spirited debate which Brendan Wood International intends to follow, monitoring shareholder interest for the benefit of all parties. It is not unlikely that some aspects of the debate will change the attitudes towards boards away from ornamentalism and towards accountability.

“Mr. Ackman getting his way is hardly a given” says Neil Cameron, 30 year Corporate Historian for Brendan Wood International. “On the surface, Ackman’s move looks very strong, well-financed, presented only as a ‘cultural’ transformation rather than a buyout. Fred Green is not without a stratagem or two. If not exactly trying to wrap himself in the Canadian flag, Green has also spoken in Vancouver about the ‘social license’ aspect of CP: a ‘stakeholder’ rather than pure shareholder appeal, noting CP’s good client relationships, environmental concerns, and similar strengths. This may appear very thin armour plate; modern institutional shareholders are scarcely known for sentimental and historical attachments.”

Cameron believes, however, that this argument could conceivably tip enough shareholders to fight off the American fund proposing an American CEO, even though Harrison has already been a Canadian success story at CN. “CP is not just an ‘iconic’ Canadian firm; it is THE iconic Canadian firm. As it was once said of Frederick the Great’s Prussia that it was a state attached to an army, Canada could almost be described as a state attached to a trans-continental railway. The CPR was once such a huge part of the whole Canadian economy that equity investors did not even need to bother consulting indexes to assess the general state of the stock market; they would just consult the Canadian Pacific price, much as American investors used to check the price of U. S. Steel.”

Brendan Wood’s Worldwide Shareholder Confidence Index: The Brendan Wood Panel of over 2000 investors and advisors in the investment process evaluate nearly 2,000 companies on eleven core-buying criteria, with the results aggregated into the Brendan Wood Shareholder Confidence Index on a real-time basis. The Worldwide Panel represents over US$3 Trillion dollars in actively managed assets. Brendan Wood partners’ first interest in conflicts is to create as level a playing field as possible for the investor panel. Tracking their issues and concerns and polling their votes is a valuable service to all concerned in a debate of this kind for its Worldwide Investor Panel.

Contact:
Stewart Borden, Partner, Brendan Wood International
stewartb@brendanwood.com
+1-416-924-8110

Henry S. Brenzel, Panel Manager, Brendan Wood International
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com
+1-416-924-8110

Leaders of Thought: Brendan Wood International Announces The Results
of Its Search For The Best Investment Minds for the Dutch Market

Toronto, ON, January 10, 2012 (TOPGUN PRESS) – Performance and Career Advisory firm
Brendan Wood International has recently concluded this year’s worldwide search for the best-of-the-
best investment minds active in the Dutch market.
This year’s TopGuns are cited as those who have deep insight into the “leading” Dutch
companies and global sensitivity to multiple sectors. In recent years, the virtue of patience, a
hallmark of the traditional investment excellence, has been somewhat underappreciated. A major
world crisis drove investors to the level of unacceptable risk. Patient money managers suffered
the pangs and even though they were vindicated, by that time many of their clients and their
market charisma were gone!

The 11 TopGun Investment Minds (in alphabetical order):

Andrew Lynch: Schroder Investment Management
Brad Moldin : Fidelity Investments
Christian Vondenbusch; Robeco Group
Dennis Van Wees: Farringdon Capital Management
Erik Esselink: Invesco Ltd
Henry Guest: Adelphi Capital Management
Jan Luschen: ING
Jan-Willem Brommersma : APG Group
Jeroen Bos: ING
Marcel Jongen: Adelphi Capital Management
Thijs Hovers: Lucerne Capital Management, LLC.
BWI’s Panel of Analysts consists of 600 global sell-side analysts from 65 firms,
representing over 90% of equity trading. Investigative debriefings with these analysts
occur on an ongoing basis. The results are based upon votes from the most recent 12
months. More than 1000 nominations were received from Global focused
counterparties. TopGuns were those with the greatest number of votes.

Also listed are a further 10 professionals who have received numerous mentions and are in the
running for TopGun status in 2012.

In The Marathon for Next Year (in alphabetical order):
Arnoud Diemers: ABN AMRO Bank NV
Darren Starr: UBS Global Asset Management
Edward Donohue: One Investments
Geert-Jan Hoppers: Delta Lloyd NV
Herman Bots: APG Group
Jan Willem Vis: BNP Paribas
Johan Levavasseur: SAC Capital Advisors
Patricia Biggers: Lazard
Philipp Endemann: Citadel Asset Management
Wahid Butt: Capital Research & Management

Mr. Ajay Walia
+416 924 8110
awalia@brendanwood.com
Related Links:
www.brendanwood.com

Brendan Wood International recently concludes its search for Asia’s TopGun Investment Minds 2011

January 5, 2012 Singapore: – Brendan Wood International (BWI) today announced the results of its search for the TopGun Investment Minds in Asia*. The BWI voting panel in 2011 consists of 225 leading sell-side analysts, across all sectors, from 50 brokerage firms. In addition to accrediting their investment credentials, the panel vote attests to the buy-side’s contribution to the civility of the global investment industry. Out of the 682 individuals that have been nominated, the top 41 portfolio managers and buy-side analysts were awarded the highest honors in the industry as TopGun Investment Minds.

With 2011 being one of the most challenging years for the investment community, this year’s TopGuns describe work ethic, intelligent and in-depth discussion with their sell-side counterparts, and a thorough understanding of market dynamics as keys to success.

The TopGun Investment Minds of Asia 2011 (in alphabetical order):

Agnes Deng, Baring Asset Management
Alethea Leung, BlackRock
Anand Madduri, Och-Ziff Capital Management Group
Angeline Ho, Morgan Stanley Asset Management
Anthony Cheung, Pictet Asset Management
Arthur Kwong, BNP Paribas Asset Management
Arvind Monie, AllianceBernstein
Bin Shi, UBS Global Asset Management
Charles Wong, AMP Capital Brookfield
Chris Robinson, Deutsche Asset Management
Christopher Yip, T Rowe Price Group
Elizabeth Pang, JP Morgan Asset Management
Eric Moffett, T Rowe Price Group
Frankie Lee, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Guillermo de Las Casas, Fidelity Investments
Hiang Boon Teo, AIA Wealth Management
Jeffrey Zielinski, Azentus Capital Management
Jolly Ng, Nomura Asset Management
Julie Lim, SAC Capital Advisors
Jun Sugishima, Och-Ziff Capital Management Group
Justin Pica, CBRE Clarion Securities
Kadir Lim, Indus Capital Advisors
Kai Yang Lee, Baring Asset Management
Kwok Wing Cheong, HSBC Global Asset Management
Lei Fu, Och-Ziff Capital Management Group
Lilian Co, LBN Advisers
Luke Sullivan, Cohen & Steers
Mandy Chan, HSBC Global Asset Management
Martin Lau, First State Investments
Michael Yu, Harvest Global Investments
Min Wang, Harvest Global Investments
Paul Kim, Wellington Management
Pearlyn Chong, Oaktree Capital Management
Soo Hai Lim, Baring Asset Management
Tony Chu, Principal Global Investors
Warren Howe, Capital Group
William Fong, Baring Asset Management
William Leung, Deutsche Asset Management
William Leung, SAC Capital Advisors
Yawei Wang, China Asset Management
Yeu Huan Lai, Nikko Asset Management

*Asia excluding Japan

Related Links:
www.topgunpress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Summer Song
1.416.924.8116
summer.song@brendanwood.com

Jacqueline Ho
65.6222.1678
jacqueline@mileage.com.sg

November 21, 2011 Singapore: – Brendan Wood International and Mileage Group today announced a strategic partnership to serve corporate clients in Asia. The new venture combines global investor intelligence with local investor relations strategy and communications expertise. This unique combination effectively transforms traditional investor relations value propositions in the region.

Brendan Wood International (BWI), a leading capital markets intelligence agency since 1970, founded the global Shareholder Confidence Index some 33 years ago. Today, there are more than 2,000 major investors and a similar number of market research and sales/trading professionals expressing their ownership convictions as part of the worldwide Brendan Wood Panel. This group represents several trillion dollars in equity investments. Through the Shareholder Confidence Index, Directors and Officers of Public Corporations worldwide now have access to all levels of investor purchasing and divestment intentions towards their companies.

The Mileage Group (MG) is Singapore’s largest home-grown, full-service strategic marketing communications and PR consultancy. Headquartered in Singapore, the Group comprises eleven offices across seven Asian countries. This exclusive partnership with BWI breaks down geographic barriers to transform traditional investor relations. Specifically, it allows MG to leverage on BWI’s professional network and quantitative toolkit to provide local consulting and advisory services, enhanced with global shareholder intelligence, to Asia’s leading public companies.

Mr Brendan Wood, Chairman of Brendan Wood International, said: “We live in a world where leading local companies are increasingly finding that their customer as well as shareholder bases are broadening. To the extent that this is true across regional and global boundaries, we want to be there to help local companies by providing worldwide investor feedback and local advice and execution through our Mileage partners. Global shareholder intelligence that pinpoints weaknesses and strengths of a corporation and its competitors combined with strategic on-the-ground expertise, will be a game-changer for investor relations in the region.”

“Increasingly, we find our clients asking us not only ‘How can I improve?’, but also ‘How am I performing?’, said Mr Yap Boh Tiong, Chairman of the Mileage Group. “The traditional problem has been that companies often can only react to stock price movements, when shareholders have already voted with their feet. Our partnership with BWI means that we know who the ideal target shareholders are and exactly what these investors want from management and the board. This puts us in a better position to advise on investor relations, encompassing strategy and communications.”

“This also eliminates the waste of poorly targeted investor relations campaigns which are far too broad and ineffectual for the modern era. We want local corporates to know exactly what their shareholders are thinking and exactly who they should be talking to and why,” added Mr Wood.

About Mileage Communications Group

Established in 1992, the Mileage Communications Group is a leading full-service strategic marketing communications and PR consultancy, and the premier crisis communications consultancy in Singapore. Headquartered in Singapore, the Group comprises 11 offices across seven countries with branch offices in China (Shanghai), India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai), Indonesia (Jakarta), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) Singapore (HQ), Thailand (Bangkok) and Vietnam (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City). The company has an established track record in servicing clients across seven core strategic practices, namely Consumer/Lifestyle, Corporate/Finance/IPO/Investor Relations, Healthcare/Pharmaceutical, Infocomm Technology, Shipping, Crisis Management and Sports. For more information, please visit: www.mileagecommunications.com

Shareholder Confidence in Canadian Tire Plummets Amidst Harsh Ratings of Board and CEO

TORONTO, ON (TOPGUN PRESS) – Mid-year results of Brendan Wood’s Shareholder Confidence Index underlines shareholder dissatisfaction with a dual share structure which places control in the hands of a few whose commitment to a long-term vision is deeply questioned by investors. Shareholders clearly feel that Canadian Tire Corporation is a poorly run and underperforming company with the potential to achieve much more. Investors are very tough on both CEO and Board, the composition of which appears to make concessions to geographic representation as opposed to being selected as drivers of Canadian Tire business. While shareholders feel invited to ‘drive on if you don’t like it’ and hear more of the same in Canadian Tire’s hapless slogan for 2011 “Bring it on” shareholders appear to be saying “Take it away”.

Related Links:
www.topgunpress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Henry S. Brenzel
561.515.6126
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com

TORONTO, ON (TOPGUN PRESS) – The Brendan Wood International panel of institutional investors in Canada this year assigned Saputo Group Inc. their highest level of confidence, edging out Atrium Innovations Inc. and Gildan Activewear Inc. amongst Canadian consumer products companies. Saputo Group’s CEO Lino Saputo Jr. is clearly the “big cheese”. In the words of one large shareholder “He is 3rd generation; by this time the kids generally screw up the business. But this guy’s got it and it seems to be in his blood. He’s taking the business to the next level. He’s worked hard in the business since a young age so he really knows how to drive the business.”

Investors support Saputo as it has a substantial market share in Canada, growing market share in the U.S. and the company continues to do acquisitions at accretive prices that continue to strengthen its positioning. Investors say “They have made dozens of acquisitions in their history, in over 50 years they’ve grown from a small company to one of the largest dairy companies in the world. They’ve never made an acquisition that was irrational, they are always patient, they don’t overpay, they are very comfortable walking away from a transaction if they don’t think it is right for the company from a financial standpoint even if it’s the right thing from a strategic standpoint.”

The Top 15 Canadian Consumer Products Companies Shareholder Confidence Results:

Rank Company Shareholder Confidence Index Score
1   Saputo Group Inc. – 832
2   Atrium Innovations Inc. – 821
3   Gildan Activewear Inc. – 820
4   Empire Co. Ltd.  – 768
5   Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.  – 765
6   Tim Hortons  – 753
7   Shoppers Drug Mart Corp.  – 722
8   Metro Inc. – 710
9   George Weston Limited – 724
10   Forzani Group Ltd.*  – 707
11   Rona Inc.  - 702
12   Loblaw Companies Ltd. – 667
13   Jean Coutu Group Inc. – 623
14   Canadian Tire Corp Inc. – 619
15   Maple Leaf Foods Inc. – 590

*Pre-dates pending acquisition by Canadian Tire Corp Ltd.
Y/E Aug. 16, 2011

The Top 15 Worldwide Consumer Products Companies Shareholder Confidence Results:

Rank Company Shareholder Confidence Index Score
1   AmBev – 912
2   Costco Wholesale Corporation – 883
3   Coca-Cola Co. – 879
4   Nintendo Co. Ltd. – 875
5   Anheuser Busch Inbev NV – 869
6   Reckitt Benckiser PLC – 846
7   SABMiller PLC – 836
8   Yum! Brands Inc. – 835
8   LVMH Moet-Hennessey LV – 835
10   Saputo Group Inc. – 832
11   Nestle – 826
12   Atrium Innovations Inc. – 821
12   Target Corporation – 821
14   NIKE, Inc. – 820
14   Gildan Activewear Inc. – 820

Related Links:
www.topgunpress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Henry S. Brenzel
561.515.6126
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com

NEW YORK, NY (TOPGUN PRESS) – TopGun Executive Talent Agency and Performance Advisors Brendan Wood International, today released the results of its Global Shareholder Confidence Poll in Consumer Products, with Brazil-based company Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (AmBev), finishing in top spot. Over 2,000 investors evaluate over 1,000 companies on ten core-buying criteria, with the results aggregated into the Brendan Wood Shareholder Confidence Index. The results reflect the link between investor confidence and share-price appreciation.

At the helm of AmBev is TopGun Chairman Carlos Brito, who investors feel is extremely decisive, thoroughly focused, and has the right mind-set to push the business forward. Shareholders feel Mr. Brito has a track record of running the company more intensely than others who are a bit more relaxed. “Mr. Brito has a vision for the company, inclusive impression of the industry and the guts to make new acquisitions while exemplifying true pragmatism. The management of AmBev is extremely performance driven with benchmarks that are stringent and ultimately drive the company to the top of the sector globally”.

The Top 10 Global Consumer Products Shareholder Confidence Results:

Company – Shareholder Confidence Score

Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (AmBev) – 911
Costco Wholesale Corporation – 886
Nintendo Co. Ltd. – 875
Coca-Cola Co. – 872
Anheuser-Busch Inbev NV – 869
Reckitt Benckiser PLC – 847
Saputo Group Inc. – 836
Atrium Innovations Inc. – 833
LVMH Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA – 831
SABMiller PLC – 830

While the economy remains volatile, confidence in global consumer products companies remains cautiously optimistic. A shareholder confidence score above 800 represents the upper echelon of companies who have attained top quartile status in the entire index of over 1,000 companies.

“Consumer products shareholders worldwide are giving their companies tougher report cards this year, demanding greater performance and accountability from management. CEOs are under considerable pressure to live up to their guidance, not get ahead of themselves and to deliver on their relationships with the shareholder community.” said Stewart Borden, Partner of Brendan Wood International.

Related Links:
www.topgunpress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Henry S. Brenzel
561.515.6126
hbrenzel@brendanwood.com

August 15th, 2011 – PNC Financial Services (PNC), who has steadily built a capital markets presence is positioned for the next step – lead orders for Equity underwritings and M&A advisory. PNC has been active over the past 2 years in the debt advisory having been on more than 225+ syndicate positions, putting PNC in the Top 20 for U.S debt transactions. But during the same time period, PNC has only been active on 80+ equity syndicates, and outside the Top 50 in terms of M&A market share.

The decision to expand the capital markets group could be seen positively by shareholders. PNC currently enjoys a Top 20 ranking globally in terms of shareholder confidence for banks, with top marks for both strategy and balance sheet. PNC has attracted capital and customers. Can it now attract TopGun bankers in Equity and M&A to capitalize on its cross-sell potential?

For initial distribution to the Brendan Wood Panel consisting of leading shareholders, corporate executives, corporate directors, TopGun analysts, TopGun bankers, and other senior banking executives.

Related Links:

www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact

Jordan Novak
Managing Director, Brendan Wood International
+1-416-924-8110
jnovak@brendanwood.com

15Aug2011 (TopGun Press): BNP was by far the highest scoring French bank in Brendan Wood International’s on-going shareholder confidence poll, and rivalled Santander for top European Bank. BNP scored an 838 (out of a possible 1100 for shareholder confidence). Baudoin Prot continues his ranking as TopGun CEO, winning marks for “strong leadership” and “ability to make good decisions easily”. The results were not uniformly glowing on BNP Paribas, however. Globally, corporate executives are less flattering. While a top 2 bank in France, BNP ranked 7th in Europe outside of France, and the 11th globally for investment & corporate banking.

Credit Suisse’s TopGun CEO Brady Dougan only managed to garner a 772 for his bank, but ranked better than BNP with corporate CEOs and CFOs, ranking 1st in Switzerland, 6th in the rest of Europe, and 5th globally for investment and corporate banking.

[For initial distribution to the Brendan Wood Panel consisting of leading shareholders, corporate executives, corporate directors, TopGun analyst, TopGun bankers, and other senior banking executives.

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Stewart Borden
Partner, Brendan Wood International
+1-416-924-8110
stewartb@brendanwood.com

New York, NY, August 10th, 2011 (TOPGUN PRESS) – When Bank of America’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch closed in the beginning of 2009, clients were skeptical of the new combined entity. According to corporate clients, it was having an identity crisis and the internal issues came through to clients in terms of Bank of America’s contact with them. The brand was tarnished due to the adverse publicity around the merger and clients were concerned about the loss of people, disruption of coverage and about getting lost in the shuffle. Now that the dust has settled, corporate clients rate the combined Bank of America Merrill Lynch banking brand as top three in the world (up from ninth at the end of 2008), have it positioned to grow market share and the equity research and sales teams both rate highly with institutional clients. Bank of America’s position is rapidly rivaling industry leaders JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs and leaving behind firms like Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, UBS and Barclays.

Investors in the stock however, do not share the same sentiment. Investors still rate their confidence in Bank of America below average in the banking space; well below that of shareholder confidence leaders like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, whose investor and client views are aligned and who have weathered the recent bank selloff better than most.

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Amanda Knott
+1 (416) 924 8110
aknott@brendanwood.com

Independent Study of the Most Transactionally Active UK Companies

10 August 2011 – Brendan Wood International today released the results of its debriefing with the most transactionally active UK companies. Many corporations globally are sending a greater amount of their strategic investment banking fees to boutiques. TopGun bankers are selecting boutique life as an alternative to big bank bureaucracy and compensation retention. Collins Stewart Hawkpoint ranked as one of the brokers most predicted to grow market share in the equities business. Its share of TopGun bankers climbed significantly, as did its research ranking and number of clients with planned deals.

The number one ranked broker continues to be JP Morgan. Bank of America Merrill Lynch ranked first for number of TopGun bankers, and was also positioned to grow market share. UBS ranked most vulnerable to a market share loss.

The top 5 banks ranked by share of TopGun bankers in Equity Underwriting were:

Equity Underwriting

1st – JP Morgan
2nd – Bank of America Merrill Lynch
3rd – Collins Stewart Hawkpoint
4th – UBS
5th – Goldman Sachs

For initial distribution to the Brendan Wood Panel consisting of over 4000 shareholders, corporate executives, corporate directors, TopGun analysts, TopGun bankers, and other leading banking executives.

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact

Stewart Borden
Partner, Brendan Wood International
+1-416-924-8110
stewartb@brendanwood.com

08Aug2011 – As bank stocks continue to be hammered in today’s sell-off, those banks ranking highest on Brendan Wood International’s global Shareholder Confidence Index are faring better than most. High Shareholder Confidence ranking banks such as JP Morgan, HSBC, and US Bancorp are all down much less than their lower ranking peers such as Citigroup, Bank of America, and Credit Agricole. All three later banks have struggled to earn shareholder confidence scores above 650 (out of 1100). Leaders such as JP and US Bancorp regularly score above 800.

HSBC has recently scored well with investors, getting marks for its geographic diversity (particularly Asia), conservative leadership, and limited exposure to investment banking where it would be seen as a me-too player at best. JP Morgan continues to rank well with both its shareholders and corporate clients. JP Morgan ranked 1st in the TopGun investment bankers in the world poll conducted by Brendan Wood International. US Bancorp gets top marks for its superbly managed Western US deposit base.

1 US Bancorp 891
2 Itau Unibanco 885
3 JP Morgan 869
4 Banco Santander 863
5 TD Bank Financial Group 850
6 Goldman Sachs 840
7 BNP Paribas 838
8 Wells Fargo 838
9 Standard Chartered Bank 833
10 China Construction Bank Corporation 831
11 Industrial & Commercial Bank of China 827
12 HSBC 826
13 Barclays 811
14 Banco Bradesco SA 806
15 China Merchants Bank 801
16 Bank of Communications 790
17 Bank of China 774
18 PNC Financial Services Group Inc 773
19 Credit Suisse Group 772
20 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA 770
21 Bank of Nova Scotia 768
22 Hang Seng Bank Ltd. 766
23 Sberbank 759
24 Royal Bank of Canada 742
25 Lazard 727
26 DnB NOR ASA 715
27 Deutsche Bank 715
28 UBS 697
29 Intesa Sanpaolo 691
30 Societe Generale 691
31 VTB Bank 689
32 Morgan Stanley 687
33 Unicredit Group 671
34 Nordea Bank 670
35 Mediobanca 662
36 Bank of America Corporation 642
37 Bank of Montreal 635
38 ING 630
39 The Royal Bank Of Scotland 627
40 Danske Bank 625
41 Swedbank 622
42 KBC Group NV 619
43 National Bank of Canada 615
44 Credit Agricole 614
45 Suntrust Banks 593
46 Banco do Brasil 584
47 Banco Espirito Santo S.A. 583
48 Natixis 582
49 Banco Sabadell 555
50 Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena 550
51 Deutsche Postbank 546
52 Alpha Bank AE 535
53 Banco Popular Espanol SA 526
54 Citigroup 509
55 Fifth Third Bancorp 507
56 Banco Popolare SC 505
57 Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce 491
58 Dexia S.A. 462
59 Bank of Greece 440
60 Bank of Ireland 438
61 Commerzbank 412
62 KeyCorp 403

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Johann Rodrigues
416 924 8110
jrodrigues@brendanwood.com

The Brendan Wood International global rankings of TopGun banking performance by institutional investors showed the largest payout for research going to JP Morgan., ranking 1st, with over 12% of commissions last year. But results from there on down included not only other big money centre banks and remaining bulge bracket i-banks, but also plenty of smaller firms.

For example, for U. S. research, Sanford Bernstein came second, lodged between JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley, with almost 9% of commissions. Keefe Bruyette was in 10th place, just fractionally behind Deutsche Bank. And when corporate executives gave their own assessment of analyst penetration, they placed Stifel Nicolaus 1st, ahead of JP Morgan, and Keefe Bruyette 3rd, ahead of Citigroup. Raymond James and Robert Baird were also in their top ten.

Stifel Nicolaus strengthened its position as a small cap specialist when it acquired Legg Mason from Citigroup in 2006, and has over $90 billion in assets under management. But sometimes a really small firm still cuts out a niche. Sanford Bernstein is a specialist in quantitative analysis, a darling of institutional investors for years, now with a substantial global presence. Keefe, Bruyette, which lost 67 of its 172 WTC employees in the September 11 terrorist attack, recovered and went public in 2006, but still has only a few hundred employees, and net income only in the low tens of millions. As trading profits decline and traditional investment banking regains priority, these specialized little fish may take bigger bites away from the whales and big tunas.

For further information, contact Sterart Borden, sborden@brendanwood.com or Johann Rodrigues, jrodrigues@brendanwood.com.

05Aug2011: The BRENDAN WOOD INTERNATIONAL ratings by global professional investors showed that, in trading rankings, Goldman Sachs was behind only two giant banks, Citigroup and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. But they also showed that Goldman will have new work cut out for it, if hoping to become a pack leader in investment banking, especially for research analysts, ranked only 9th worldwide and 7th in the U. S.:

Investor Ranking of Top Five Banks for Research Teams ‘Voted to Pay’

Global
JP Morgan
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Morgan Stanley
Credit Suisse
UBS

U.S.
JP Morgan
Sanford Bernstein
Morgan Stanley
Citigroup
Credit Suisse

Goldman Sachs remained higly profitable, reporting over $4 billion in pretax earnings in the first quarter. But it has not done so as an ‘investment bank’ as that term was understood. Less than a tenth of recent earnings came from underwriting issues and other traditional i-bank activities, most of the rest from trading.

The firm now has to overcome the recent damage to its overall reputation, and the extent to which financial regulation is lowering trading profits in general, 60% in 2010 for Goldman. Investment banking fees, on the other hand, were up 7%, and even Lloyd Blankfein, trader par excellence, will now be looking to raising these a great deal higher.

Blankfein may also have to persuade his partners, shareholders, and clients that his undoubted trading talents are what his firm now needs at the top.

For further information, contact Stewart Borden, sborden@brendanwood.com, or Johann Rodrigues, jrodrigues@brendanwood.com.

05Aug2011: The BRENDAN WOOD INTERNATIONAL global panel of institutional investors this year assigned Goldcorp their highest level of confidence, edging out Agnico-Eagle, which BWI found in the top position a year earlier. Both these firms, and Silver Wheaton Corp for silver mining, gained their top ratings for their competitive position and perceived investment potential. Even mighty Barrick, for example, was down in 9th place, and other big gold players like IAMGOLD, and Newmont (18th, and 20th, respectively) were even lower.

Top Five Precious Metals Firms in Global Investor Confidence
Goldcorp Inc.
Agnico-Eagle Ltd.
New Gold
Silver-Wheaton Corp.
Osaka Mining Corp.

Despite the large amount of publicity in recent months about precious metals and commodities as a hedge against expected coming inflation, professional investors did not tend to assign their highest confidence scores to these firms. Even the best ones got respectable, but not top scores, for factors like Confidence in the CEO or in Senior Management generally. More than for other sectors reported to BWI, these scores were influenced by geographical variation as well. For example, and somewhat surprisingly, U. S. investors did not assign high confidence scores to gold and silver companies in general, nothing like those assigned to top firms in other sectors, like Coca-Cola or FedEx. So metals are still clearly seen only as a useful hedge, not as a large replacement in core portfolios. Gold bugs may continue to despair.

For further information, contact Stewart Borden, sborden@brendanwood.com, or Johann Rodrigues, jrodrigues@brendanwood.com

TORONTO, July 11, 2011 (TOPGUN PRESS) – Brendan Wood International today announced the results of its annual search for the 50 TopGun Investment Minds in Canada. RBC Global Asset Management achieved TopGun Team status for the third year in a row, with all six money managers from 2010 retaining their TopGun status. Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec, CI Investments, Connor, Clark & Lunn, and Sentry Investments also earned TopGun Team status with four TopGuns apiece. TopGuns were defined by the sell-side for their depth of inquiry, insight and knowledge of the Canadian market and sectors they invest in.

With resources wavering in 2011, after a strong 2010, investment focus is shifting towards other sectors and this was showcased in the voting as well. Twenty-eight generalist portfolio managers were nominated as TopGuns this year, up from 23 last year.

BWI’s Panel of Analysts consists of 400 global sell-side analysts from 65 firms, representing over 90% of equity trading. Investigative debriefings with these analysts occur on an ongoing basis. The results are based upon votes from the most recent 12 months. More than a 1000 nominations were received from Canadian and US focused counterparties. TopGuns were those with the greatest number of votes.

The 50 TopGun Canadian Investment Minds (in alphabetical order):

Gary Baker; Connor, Clark & Lunn
Chris Beer; RBC Global Asset Management
Oscar Belaiche; Goodman & Company Investment Counsel
Jéan-Fréderic Bérard; Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec
Carole Berthiaume; Fiera Sceptre Inc
Stephen Bonnyman; UBS Global Asset Management
Claude Boulos; Selexia Investment Management
Mark Bridges; Connor, Clark & Lunn
Tim Caulfield; Bissett Investment Management
Stephane Champagne; CI Investments
Robert Cohen; Goodman & Company Investment Counsel
Robert Decker; Aurion Capital Management
Philippe Dumont; Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec
Benoit Gervais; Mackenzie Investments
Mason Granger; Sentry Investments
Chris Holden; Investors Group
Hoa Hong; CI Investments
David Jiles; Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel
Jean-François Jolicoeur; Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec
Shane Jones; Scotia Asset Management
Stuart Kedwell; RBC Global Asset Management
Laura Lau; Sentry Investments
François Lebel; Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec
Ari Levy; TD Asset Management
Jeannine LiChong; Gluskin Sheff +Associates
Bob Lyon; AGF Management
Scott Lysakowski; Phillips Hager & North
Craig MacAdam; Aurion Capital Management
Kevin MacLean; Sentry Investments
Ani Markova; AGF Management
Hugh McCauley; AGF Management
Jennifer McClelland; RBC Global Asset Management
Keith McLean: GMP Investment Management
Dennis Mitchell; Sentry Investments
Marcello Montanari; RBC Global Asset Management
Margot Naudie; CPP Investment Board
John Novak; Connor, Clark & Lunn
Charles Oliver; Sprott Asset Management Inc.
Vincent Paquet; Intact Investment Management Inc.
John Priestman; Guardian Capital
Doug Raymond; RBC Global Asset Management
Mark Serdan; BMO Asset Management
John Smolinski; TD Asset Management
Brahm Spilfogel; RBC Global Asset Management
Doug Stadelman; Phillips Hager & North
John Stephenson; First Asset Management, Inc.
Andrew Sweeney; Phillips Hager & North
Scott Vali; CI Investments
Steven Vertes; Connor, Clark & Lunn
Malcolm White; CI Investments

TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS Learn more about the implications of this worldwide search by contacting the project leaders. Brendan Wood International is a Performance and Career Advisor assisting both firms and individuals. The firm has conducted more than 1,000 offsites and management strategy sessions for financial institutions and corporations worldwide. Brendan Wood seeks out optimal financial service relationships for corporations and places TopGun executives and investment professionals in senior rainmaker assignments.

Related Links:

www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:

Mr. Johann Rodrigues
(416) 924 8110
jrodrigues@brendanwood.com

Don’t Think of ‘Me Too’, Think of Me First

PALM BEACH, FL, July 12, 2011 (TOPGUN PRESS) – Performance Advisory Group, Brendan Wood International, today released the results of its Global Shareholder Confidence Poll in the Healthcare industry. US based Allergan Inc. clinched top spot. Investors evaluated Global Healthcare companies on ten core-buying criteria, with the results aggregated into the Brendan Wood Shareholder Confidence Index comprising a panel of over 2,500 global investors. The results link investor confidence and share-price appreciation albeit in an environment where stocks are as likely to trade as a group rather than on their individual merits.

Of the 60+ Global Healthcare companies included in the Brendan Wood Shareholder Confidence Index, only seven managed to achieve TopGun status with index scores above the decisive 800 mark.

The Top Global Healthcare Shareholder Confidence Results are:

Company – Shareholder Confidence Index Score
Allergan Inc. – 945
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries – 897
Medco Health Solutions Inc. – 879
Celgene Corp. – 844
Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA – 813
Novo Nordisk A/S – 809
Novartis AG – 804

Unlike some other more volatile sectors where confidence in the space rises and falls with the changes in the market, Healthcare typically floats around the middle range in terms of investor confidence.

So, how did these companies capture the confidence of investors in a space that is for the most part steady as it goes? Not surprisingly, no one best strategy prevailed.

In the US, Allergan captured the confidence of investors through the strength of its TopGun leadership. TopGun CEO David Pyott, TopGun CFO Jeffrey Edwards and TopGun Board, also led by Mr. Pyott, are cited by investors for continuing to under-promise and over-deliver, a worldwide theme this year. According to investors, they have the right strategy for building their business and tapping growth. They have a “fantastic” diversification strategy and ability to tap under-appreciated markets.

Joining Allergan in the US are Medco Health Solutions and Celgene whose key area of confidence came from their competitive positioning in their respective categories. According to investors, Medco Health Solutions’ management team, which includes TopGun CFO Richard Rubino, although having faced recent hurdles has had the unique ability to position itself in what should be a commoditized business. TopGun CEO Robert Hugin’s Celgene has dominated its therapeutic category and has next generation follow-on compounds in the pipeline that further enhance its competitive position.

Israel based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries makes the cut because it is viewed by investors as being best in class in terms of product diversification, quality and distribution.

The TopGun European Healthcare companies that made the list, Novo Nordisk, Novartis and Fresenius pit organic growth against serial acquirors. According to investors, the confidence in Novo Nordisk is partly due to its strong organic growth. The company has been focused on diabetes care for all of its history however it has had plenty of opportunity to acquire additional business legs. The biggest call on what to do with the company was to not invest in shorter-lived drug development which has proved to be exactly the right one for TopGun CEO, Lars Rebien Sørensen, and his Novo Nordisk management team.

On the other hand, Swiss based Novartis, whose management team also includes a TopGun in CFO Jonathan Symonds, is seen by investors as a serial acquiror. Although sometimes knocked for paying expensive prices, investors have cited Novartis’ pre-emptive acquisitions as a contributing factor in their confidence in Novartis’ long term growth potential. Such acquisitions are viewed as part of a strategy to avoid the effects of patent expiries. German based Fresenius joins Novartis in the elite group and has historically been viewed as an active acquiror as well.

In Global Healthcare, unique strategic differences trump “me too” propositions in gaining the confidence of the highly specialized Healthcare investors and broker analysts who message the street.

TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS Learn more about the implications of this worldwide poll by contacting the project leaders. Brendan Wood International is a Performance and Career Advisor assisting both firms and individuals. The firm has conducted more than 1,000 offsites and management strategy sessions for financial institutions and corporations worldwide. Brendan Wood seeks out optimal financial service relationships for corporations and places TopGun executives and investment professionals in senior rainmaker assignments.

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Amanda Knott
+1 416 924 8110
aknott@brendanwood.com

Brendan Wood International (BWI) released the results of its annual worldwide search for the TopGun sell-side research teams in the Aerospace & Defense sector. Performance consultants Brendan Wood International debriefs the world’s most respected institutional investors identifying which analysts, sales and trading professionals they vote to pay for in the sector and thereafter nominate TopGun sell-side analysts who influence their views on particular stocks.

Institutional investors classify the Aerospace & Defense sector as one of the most competitive sectors, highly populated with a variety of professionals ranging from senior veterans with deep industry insight and experience to rising talent who are not intimidated by significant industry changes.

Barclays, led by Joseph Campbell and Carter Copeland is the leading firm for TopGuns in the US Aerospace & Defense sector earning TopGun team status. Bank of America Merrill Lynch, led by Celine Fornaro, received the TopGun team designation for European coverage. Earning second and third place respectively for TopGun team designations for the US were JP Morgan led by Joseph Nadol and Bank of America Merrill Lynch led by Ronald Epstein. Second and third place TopGun team designations for European coverage were awarded to Deutsche Bank led by Ben Fidler and Goldman Sachs led by David Perry and Sam Edmunds.

According to investor clients, TopGun teams are built on analysts such as Joseph Campbell from Barclays US who provides a unique global perspective and Celine Fornaro Bank of America Merrill Lynch Europe who delivers consistent macro level coverage along with deep industry knowledge. Investors hungry for the voice of experience rated Joseph Nadol from JP Morgan and Ben Fidler from Deutsche Bank who have been in the industry for years and witnessed historical trends as TopGuns. They share incomparable chemistry with their clients. Ronald Epstein from Bank of America Merrill Lynch and David Perry from Goldman Sachs have established a track record for making good calls in the market. Joseph Campbell, Barclays, is not only a TopGun sector analyst but also nominated as one who influences the views of asset managers on individual stocks such as BAE Systems PLC and United Technologies Corp.

TopGun Teams US Aerospace & Defense:
1. Barclays
2. JP Morgan
3. Bank of America Merrill Lynch

TopGun Teams European Aerospace & Defense:
1. Bank of America Merrill Lynch
2. Deutsche Bank
3. Goldman Sachs

TopGun Analysts US Aerospace & Defense:
1. Joseph Campbell – Barclays
2. Joseph Nadol – JP Morgan
3. Ronald Epstein – Bank of America Merrill Lynch

TopGun Analyst European Aerospace & Defense:
1. Celine Fornaro – Bank of America Merrill Lynch
2. Ben Fidler – Deutsche Bank
3. David Perry – Goldman Sachs

Top 10 Aerospace & Defense
Shareholder Confidence Companies TopGun Analyst

1. United Technologies Corp - Joseph Campbell* – Barclays
2. Rockwell Collins Inc - Robert Spingarn – Credit Suisse
3. MTU Aero Engines GmbH - Ben Fidler* – Deutsche Bank
4. Goodrich Corp - Douglas Harned – Sanford Bernstein
5. Zodiac Aerospace - Antoine Boivin-Chempeaux – Credit Agricole
6. Bombardier Inc - Fadi Chamoun – BMO Capital Markets
7. Rolls-Royce Group PLC - Joseph Campbell* – Barclays
8. Honeywell International Inc - Robert Stallard – RBC Capital Markets
9. BAE Systems PLC - Joseph Campbell* – Barclays
10.Cobham PLC - Sandy Morris – The Royal Bank of Scotland

*TopGun Sell-Side Analyst

Mr. Ajay Walia
416 924 8110
awalia@brendanwood.com

Brendan Wood International Releases 2011 TopGun List of European Industrial Corporations

Outstanding Management Teams Underpin Investor Confidence

NEW YORK, NY June 10, 2011 (TOPGUN PRESS) – TopGun Executive Talent Agency and Performance Advisors, Brendan Wood International today, released the results of its European Industrials Shareholder Confidence poll. Swedish manufacturer, Atlas Copco AB, earned the highest index score followed by Arkema SA, BASF SE, Cie de Saint-Gobain SA and Vinci SA.

The TopGun designation is awarded to corporations which have achieved a leader position on the Brendan Wood Global Shareholder Confidence Index. Shareholder votes evaluate each corporation on a number of criteria over which management of the corporation has substantial influence. The shareholders in the Brendan Wood Panel are 2,500 large institutional investors whose portfolio holdings include substantial investment positions in the index companies evaluated. Confidence in direction and management’s ability to execute the corporation’s strategy are often pivotal differentiators of TopGun corporations. This differentiation can and usually does symbolize a high level of approval of current senior management and/or board members. Hence, a number of TopGun Designations of individual executive personalities accompany those of their firms this year.

Companies with the highest shareholder confidence have historically been those with TopGun CEO/CFO combinations. These dynamic duo scenarios were achieved by Arkema SA (CEO Thierry Le Henaff and CFO Thierry Lemonnier), Atlas Copco AB (CEO Ronnie Leten and CFO Hans Ola Meyer), Vinci SA (CEO Xavier Huillard and CFO Christian Labeyrie), ArcelorMittal (CEO Lakshmi Mittal and CFO Aditya Mittal) and BASF (CEO Juergen Hambrecht and CFO Kurt Bock). As per TopGun investors, companies at the top of the BWI Shareholder Confidence Index have CEO’s and CFO’s who come from industry, have a deep understanding of their business and have a proven track record of consistently delivering on expectations. Dynamic duos have a unique charisma and are able to clearly communicate strategy and vision. As a result, these duos have added consistent shareholder value and are trusted most by their shareholders. Notably, these include:

Top 10 European Industrials Companies in the BWI Shareholder Confidence Index are:

Company BWI Index TopGun CEO TopGun CFO
Score

1. Arkema SA 925 Thierry Le Henaff* Thierry Lemonnier*
2. Atlas Copco AB 894 Ronnie Leten* Hans Ola Meyer*
3. BMW AG 824 Joachim Milberg*
4. Ternium SA 819 Pablo Brizzio*
5. Volkswagen AG 814 Hans Dieter Poetsch*
6. Vinci SA 812 Xavier Huillard* Christian Labeyrie*
7. ArcelorMittal 810 Lakshmi Mittal* Aditya Mittal*
8. Scania AB 804 Leif Ostling*
9. Rolls-Royce Group PLC 800 Andrew Shilston*
10. BASF SE 799 Juergen Hambrecht* Kurt Bock*

Top Industrials Companies by Sub-Sector

Aerospace / Defense
Rolls-Royce Group PLC 800

Agriculture
Syngenta AG 782

Automotive
BMW AG 824

Building & Construction
Vinci SA 812

Chemicals
Arkema SA 925

Engineering
ABB Ltd 765

Environment
Veolia Environnement SA 667

Forestry
Stora Enso Oyj 774

Heavy Industry
Ternium SA 819

Manufacturing
Atlas Copco AB 894

Transportation
AP Moller – Maersk A/S 743

Contact Information:
Ajay Walia
Panel Manager
awalia@brendanwood.com

TopGun Investment Minds – Real Estate & REITS – Who Do You Trust?

PALM BEACH, FL, April 11, 2011 (TOPGUN PRESS) Performance advisory firm Brendan Wood International finished off their global search for the TopGun Investment Minds today, announcing the TopGuns in Real Estate and REITS. This purportedly conservative sector just delivered returns of 25% two years, back to back. In this environment, many stood out but a select few were able to prevail as the best investment minds in the business.

Real Estate Investment Trusts have made a dent in the traditions of the investment business. Not so long ago, real estate investments were managed inside the investor’s tent. Now they are widely outsourced to independent specialists who do nothing but real estate investing. REITs are generally transparent to their investors, pay a quarterly return, and participate in sector investment opportunities.

Professional investors who focus on this sector are now prone to make arms length investments in the professional management teams who are running competitive real estate funds. In many instances investment decisions have become “people bets”; an investment manager making a serious bet on another investment manager. Most TopGun sell side analysts are experientially aware that these decisions are as tough as they come. Today’s TopGun Real Estate Investment Minds have to have a host of analytical and intuitive real estate investment expertise. They see through portfolios and have a keen sense of what the existing portfolio assets are likely to value at over time. They also understand how to evaluate the ‘investment judgment’ of the REITs team and value the strategy and quality underpinning their portfolios. The pressure is on the investor to make REITs bets which fuse intuitive expertise with high quality analysis of hard assets and the markets those assets will address.

A REIT investment is also an investment in a corporate culture which is challenging to analyze and predict. The REIT organization presents another level of intangibles into an already difficult investment analysis. It often looks like one REIT is much like another as the business models replicate, but the shrewd investor knows the differences which accentuate returns. No mean feat. The TopGun Investment Minds win their accolades from the sell side analysts in this sector for their ability to quantify the intangibles in a game that may look like “bricks and mortar” but presents a human element which is more elusive than most.

The TopGun US Real Estate Investment Minds are:

Prashant Tewari; AllianceBernstein
Samuel Wald; Fidelity Investments
Steven Buller; Fidelity Investments
Ted Bigman; Morgan Stanley Asset Management
Jay Rosenberg; Nuveen Investments
David Lee; T Rowe Price Group
John Vojticek; RREEF
Eric Rothman; Urdang Securities Management

The TopGun European Real Estate Investment Minds are:

Jan Willem Vis; BNP Paribas Investment Partners, Netherlands
Guy Barnard; Henderson Global Investors, United Kingdom
Gerwin Holland; PGGM-NV, Netherlands

The TopGun Canadian Real Estate Investment Minds are:

Kevin Hall; Guardian Capital
Dennis Mitchell; Sentry Investments

TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS Learn more about the implications of this worldwide search by contacting the project leaders. Brendan Wood International is a Performance and Career Advisor assisting both firms and individuals. The firm has conducted more than 1,000 offsites and management strategy sessions for financial institutions and corporations worldwide. Brendan Wood seeks out optimal financial service relationships for corporations and places TopGun executives and investment professionals in senior rainmaker assignments.

Related Links:
www.TopGunPress.com
www.brendanwood.com

Contact:
Mr. Johann Rodrigues
561 515 6126
jrodrigues@brendanwood.com