Message from the AIMSE President

August 2008

As we sit back and look at the first half of 2008 it has certainly been challenging. The sub-prime crisis, fleeting investment returns and low consumer confidence has led us to a crossroads as investment management sales executives. How do we engage our clients and prospects to instill a sense of confidence in our capabilities and use this as an opportunity to build even deeper relationships with our industry contacts?

We at AIMSE recognize our mission is to provide outstanding educational programs and opportunities to develop our member's investment knowledge and sales skills in order to effectively increase the probability of your success. Education happens in many places and spaces and we recognize and appreciate the many ways that learning can occur. With that in mind we at AIMSE want to make you aware of an initiative we recently began titled "AIMSE Goes Local". This encompasses a series of regional breakfast meetings aimed at providing a venue to discuss topical ideas and trends at a local level. Over the last six months we have hosted a number of meetings in cities like Atlanta, San Francisco and Philadelphia. At these gatherings we discussed changes to consulting personnel at organizations like Callan, LCG, NEPC and others. In Philadelphia we had an opportunity to have Orim Graves, Senior Consultant at FIS Group talk about his thoughts on the marketplace, search trends as well as the economy. We also conferred on any changes in plan sponsor contacts or current searches (RFP's).

All in all the AIMSE members and guests who attended walked away with the "local" intelligence they could use to make a difference in their day to day jobs as well as insight on any trends that might affect the firm's strategic positioning. We will continue to host these meetings on a more frequent and broader basis to ensure AIMSE provides every opportunity to enhance your capabilities as a sales executive.

Of course this is in addition to our already engaging lineup of conferences we hold on an annual basis. This fall the Plan Sponsor / Consultant conference will be held at the Hilton New York on October 1st and 2nd. Not only will you be able to meet leading plan sponsors and consultants in an informal roundtable environment, but we will also hear from industry leaders like McKinsey & Company and Casey Quirk & Associates. Toronto, Canada will once again host the Annual Canadian Conference on January 13-14, 2009 and New York will also be the sight of next years Hedge Fund Conference in early 2009. A perennial favorite, AIMSE and P&I will again jointly host some of the best and brightest in the hedge fund industry. Finally, we will return to the fabulous Arizona Biltmore Resort on April 26-28, 2009 for our Annual Conference. As always the agenda will be filled with topical sessions from industry experts designed to advance your sales and marketing relationship skills.

The Board and I understand the goal of AIMSE is to educate the leaders of today and tomorrow. With our new educational initiatives, our website redesign and our partnership with the Drohan Management Group we believe we are in the best position to meet and exceed the needs of all AIMSE members.

I personally look forward to welcoming you at an AIMSE sponsored educational event soon!

Warmest regards,

Larry Pokora, President, AIMSE