Asset Management Veterans Frank Hurst and Richard Gadbois Join EAM Investors in Senior Roles

CARDIFF-BY-THE-SEA, Calif., June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- EAM Investors, LLC, formerly Eudaimonia Asset Management, LLC, an actively managed institutional investment manager specializing in U.S. small and micro cap stocks, is pleased to announce the appointments of Frank P. Hurst and Richard A. Gadbois, III to senior positions, effective immediately, as well as increased employee ownership in the firm. Hurst and Gadbois join existing shareholders in the employee-controlled firm while ROTH Capital Partners, LLC, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based investment bank and EAM's financial partner since the firm's inception in 2007, remains a significant minority shareholder.  

Mr. Hurst, 59, a 28-year asset management veteran and most recently a principal and senior managing director at Relational Investors, has been named president of EAM Investors and managing director of marketing and client service. Mr. Gadbois, 53, joins EAM Investors as managing director of marketing and client service after a 31-year career as an investment executive with substantial experience in alternative investments and serving high-net-worth investors.

"We're thrilled to welcome Frank and Richard to our executive team,'' said Travis Prentice, EAM Investors' co-founder, CEO and chief investment officer. "They bring a long and successful track record to our firm and will be instrumental in supporting our clients' investment and service needs as we continue to grow.''

EAM Investors currently manages approximately $235 million in U.S. small and micro cap equity strategies for institutional clients and has outperformed its benchmarks for the three years ended March 31, 2011. The firm's clients include several of the largest public and corporate pension plans in the U.S.

"I'm delighted to join the top-notch investment team at EAM Investors, which has achieved success in a difficult business environment while delivering superior performance for its clients," said Frank Hurst.  "EAM Investors has proven that its research-driven, bottom-up investment process works successfully for institutional investors. I look forward to working alongside my new partners toward the firm's next stage of development,'' Richard Gadbois added.

EAM Investors' founders – Mr. Prentice, Montie Weisenberger, managing director and portfolio manager, and Joshua Moss, director and portfolio manager – worked together at Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management before forming the firm in 2007.

Prior to his four years at Relational Investors, Mr. Hurst served as president of Berkeley Capital Management, LLC, where he was responsible for marketing, product development and acquisitions. From 1990 to 2005, he was co-founder, president, director of marketing and client services and chief administrative officer at Duncan-Hurst Capital Management.

Mr. Gadbois' extensive experience includes currently serving as an executive with ROTH Capital Partners, director of Argyle Street Management Limited, a Hong Kong-based special situations credit hedge fund, and as a partner and investment committee member of San Francisco-based Main Management LLC. Previously, he co-founded and served as president of Vantis Capital Management, a hedge fund managing $1.5 billion in assets. Earlier in his career, he was a senior vice president for private wealth management at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and was responsible for overseeing over $5 billion in client assets.

"We welcome Frank and Richard to the exceptional team that has built EAM Investors," said ROTH Capital CEO Byron Roth. "With these appointments, the firm is poised to grow, and we're excited to support this expansion."

About EAM Investors, LLC

Based in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif., EAM Investors, LLC, previously known as Eudaimonia Asset Management, LLC, is an employee-controlled, institutional investment boutique focused on managing active equity portfolios in markets where inefficiencies create significant opportunities.  Founded in 2007, EAM currently manages $235 million in U.S. small and micro cap strategies for institutional clients. The firm currently has 12 employees, including six investment professionals. For more information, please visit EAM Investors' new website at www.eaminvestors.com.

SOURCE EAM Investors, LLC