Minority Owners/ Advisory Board

Philip J. Dubuque

Phil was the portfolio manager of the Walnut Street Absolute Return Funds from May 2003 through June 2008 and currently remains a consultant to the investment manager. Prior to this effort, Phil was a portfolio manager at Harvard Management Co., Harvard University’s endowment arm. He was responsible for over $2 billion within Harvard’s Core Equity strategy as well as a $300 million merger/arbitrage fund. Prior to Harvard, Phil was a portfolio manager at Invesco Funds, where he managed several top-rated funds in both the core equity and sector funds areas, garnering Morningstar Manager of the Year Runner-Up accolades in 1991. Phil began his investment career in Chicago in private banking. A magna cum laude graduate of St. Louis University with an MBA from Washington University, Phil is a CFA Charter holder. Phil is also a minority owner of Beaumont Financial Partners and provides periodic market commentary and research to Beaumont’s Investment Committee.

James Oates

James M. Oates has been Chairman of Hudson Castle Group, Inc. (formerly IBEX Capital Markets, Inc.), a financial services company, since 1997 and Managing Director of The Wydown Group, a financial consulting firm, since 1994. Previously Mr. Oates served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Neworld Bancorp Incorporated from 1984 to 1994. Mr. Oates was President of Metro Bank Holding Corporation from 1977 to 1984 in St. Louis, MO.

Mr. Oates is a Director and Chairman of the Investment Committee and Member of the Audit and Personnel Committees of Connecticut River Bancorp, Inc., and Connecticut River Bank. Mr. Oates is also a Director and Member of the Executive, Audit and Finance Committees and Chairman of the Compensation Committee of Stifel Financial Corporation, a Director of the New Hampshire Trust Co., a Director of twenty-five Phoenix Mutual Funds and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the John Hancock Trust and John Hancock Funds II. Mr. Oates is Chairman of the Board of Directors and a Member of the Executive and Compensation Committees of Emerson Investment Management, Inc. Mr. Oates is also a member of the Investment Committee of the Endowment for Health, a New Hampshire non-profit corporation and an Emeritus Trustee and former President of the Board of Trustees of Middlesex School.

Mr. Oates was a founding director and member of the Governance and Nominating Committees of Investors Financial Service Corporation (1995 – present), Investors Bank & Trust Corporation (1995 – present) until its recent sale to State Street Corporation in July, 2007.

Rick Burnes

Rick Burnes was a co-founder of Charles River Ventures in 1970 and has played a major role in the firm's development into one of the country's major venture firms with offices in Waltham, Mass. and Menlo Park, California. Over the last 15 years, Rick has focused on investments in the fields of communications and information services. Among the successful investments he has led on behalf of Charles River are: Cascade Communications, Chipcom Corporation, Epoch Systems, Abacus Direct, Summa Four, Concord Communications, Prominet, Aptis and Sonus Networks.

Apart from venture capital, Rick has been active in community organizations. Currently he is Chairman of Boston's nationally recognized Museum of Science, Chairman of the Entrepreneur's Foundation of New England, Vice Chairman of Sea Education Association and Director of The Boston Foundation. He is a past Chairman of the Board of the Middlesex School.

Rick holds a B.A. in history from Harvard College and an MBA from Boston University.