January 8, 2009: (Amherst, MA. USA) - The CAIA Association today named a series of new staff appointments to help support the association's programs and initiatives. The new appointments include Hossein Kazemi, Tom Porter and Bert Cliche.

Dr. Hossein Kazemi Ph. D. CFA has been named the Managing Director for the CAIA Program. He will be overseeing the development, execution, and analysis of the CAIA program's curriculum and examinations. Dr. Kazemi has served the CAIA Association since inception as a Senior Advisor and member of the Curriculum and Examination Committee. In addition, he has been instrumental in introducing the CAIA program to universities and industry organizations around the globe.

Dr. Kazemi was previously a Professor of Finance at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an Associate Director of the Center for International Securities & Derivatives Markets, a nonprofit organization devoted to research in the area of alternative investments, a co-founder of the CAIA Association, and home to CISDM Hedge Fund/CTA Database. He was involved in the development of the first investible hedge fund indices as well.

He is an Associate Editor of The Journal of Alternative Investments and The Financial Review. His research has been in the areas of valuations of equity and fixed income securities, asset allocation for traditional and alternative asset classes, evaluation and replication of active management investment products.

He has a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Michigan. Dr. Kazemi lives in Northampton, MA, with his wife and son.

Thomas A. Porter has been named Director of Operations for the CAIA Association.  Mr. Porter will be responsible for overseeing a variety of departments including Finance, Administration, Legal, Technology and Special Projects.  Mr. Porter is responsible for managing process improvements that support the growth of the Association, optimizing its service to candidates and members, and enhancing CAIA Association's effectiveness as the industry's leader in alternative investment education & training delivery. 

Past Treasurer of National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance, COO of the membership organization College Parents of America, and CEO of online training delivery service LearningStream, Mr. Porter has consulted to the International Finance Corporation, Verisign Ventures, the Washington Post Co., and Wall Street Week. 

Previously with Discovery Channel, Mr. Porter established Discovery's Enterprises unit and served as liaison with Allen & Company for new venture development. Tom lives in Amherst, MA with his wife and four children.

Bert Cliche has been named as Director of Information Technology. Mr. Cliche will be overseeing the technology efforts associated with the main and satellite offices as well as the www.caia.org website.

Mr. Cliche joined the CAIA association in December 2008 with 23 years of technology experience over 15 of which were spent with Wall Street firms.  Previously with Merrill Lynch, Mr. Cliche directed the engineering team for Investment Banking, Research, Human Resources, Legal / Compliance and Corporate Technology.  Prior roles included SVP and Chief Architect for Equity / Fixed Income Prime Brokerage, Equity / Fixed Income Sales and Futures technology areas.

Mr. Cliche graduated from Hampshire College in 1985 and lives in Leverett, MA with his wife and two children.

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About the CAIA Association
The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association® is an independent, not-for-profit global organization committed to education and professionalism in the field of alternative investments. Founded in 2002, the Association is the sponsoring body for the CAIA designation.  Recognized globally, the designation certifies one's mastery of the concepts, tools and practices essential for understanding alternative investments and promotes adherence to high standards of professional conduct. More information is available at www.caia.org