100 Women in Hedge Funds and CAIA Foundation Announce the 2013 CAIA Designation Scholarships

NEW YORK and AMHERST, Mass., May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- 100 Women in Hedge Funds (100WHF), Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company, LLC (PAAMCO), and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Foundation today announced the ten recipients of the third annual 100WHF/CAIA Scholarships.

Administered by the CAIA Foundation and underwritten by PAAMCO, the scholarship program was established in collaboration with the 100WHF Institute to support women seeking to earn the CAIA Charter, the leading designation in alternative investment education.  Each scholarship covers enrollment and registration fees for CAIA Level I and Level II exams, the CAIA Knowledge Series textbooks, the Schweser CAIA Level I Premium Instruction Study Solution, and a one-year membership in the CAIA Association, a value of over $5,000.

"This year's class of scholars exemplifies 100WHF's dedication to professional initiatives and educational programming within the alternative investment industry," said Mimi Drake, Chair of the 100WHF Association Board, and President of Permit Capital Advisors. "As partner to the CAIA Foundation, and with the support of PAAMCO, we have been able to create a scholarship program that identifies talented women, helps them deepen their knowledge, and furthers their careers. "

Judy Posnikoff, a founding partner at independent alternative investment firm PAAMCO, added, "We are proud to welcome our newest group of dedicated and talented women into the CAIA Scholarship program. We are confident that CAIA's rigorous program will help these women further define their role within the alternative investment space."

"I believe the CAIA program will provide me with a comprehensive and structured approach to a core alternative investments knowledge base," said Nnema Nkongho, MBA, CFA, one of the 2013 Scholars.  Nkongho is a founding team member of London-based Nubuke Investments, one of the first Sub-Saharan African multistrategy hedge funds. "The CAIA designation will assist me in accounting for the general levels of market, information, and infrastructure development as I navigate the Sub-Saharan African landscape."

Another Scholar, Pauline Nguyen, who has worked in financial services on three continents, hopes to leverage CAIA's global network to build a mentorship program in Hong Kong.

The scholarship program was established in 2011 by 100WHF through the 100WHF Institute.  100WHF is a leading non-profit organization that seeks to enhance the alternatives industry through educational programming, professional leverage, and philanthropic initiatives.

"Through the CAIA Foundation scholarships, 100WHF and PAAMCO have proven to be dedicated partners in the recognition and broadening of talent in the alternative investment industry," said Thomas A. Porter, President of the CAIA Foundation. "We also want to acknowledge the ongoing support of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Kaplan Schweser, and Institutional Investor Journals in helping these scholars earn the CAIA Charter."  As publisher of the CAIA Knowledge Series, Wiley donates the books to the scholarship recipients.

The scholarship is open to women with an interest in pursuing a career in alternative investment management, with a specific focus on portfolio management.  The program will award 10 scholarships each year through 2015.

To be considered for the 100WHF/CAIA Scholarship, applicants must be full members of 100WHF, not be eligible for program reimbursement by their employers, and have one year of professional experience in the alternative investment industry.

The 2013 100WHF/CAIA Scholarship recipients are as follows:

Holly Anhut, Head of Relationship Management, Solutions Funds Group; Chicago, IL

Sarah Colvin, Managing Director, Bristol Investment Group; New York, NY

Nili Gilbert, Co-founder & Portfolio Manager, Matarin Capital Management; Stamford, CT

Morgan McGrath, Junior Trader, Chicago Capital Management; Chicago, IL

Fides Nino, Financial Instructor, Bolsa Mexicana de Valores; Mexico

Pauline Nguyen. Master of Global Finance Candidate, NYU Stern / NKU of Science & Technology; Hong Kong

Nnena Nkongho, Consultant; New York, NY

Maria Krishna Pabalan, Derivatives Dealer, Bank of the Philippine Islands; Philippines

Rosalin Qu, MBA Candidate, MIT Sloan School of Management; Boston, MA

Lisa Scheible, Director of Investments, Kaiser Family Foundation; Geneva, Switzerland

About 100 Women in Hedge Funds (www.100womeninhedgefunds.org)
100 Women in Hedge Funds is a global, practitioner-driven non-profit organization serving over 12,000 alternative investment management investors and professionals through educational, professional leverage and philanthropic initiatives. Formed in 2001, 100 Women in Hedge Funds has hosted close to 400 events globally, connected more than 250 senior women through Peer Advisory Groups and raised nearly $30 million for philanthropic causes in the areas of women's health, education and mentoring.

About CAIA Association and CAIA Foundation
Founded in 2002, the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association® is the international leader in alternative investment education and provider of the CAIA designation, the global industry benchmark. The Association grants the CAIA charter to industry practitioners upon the successful completion of a rigorous two-level qualifying exam. The CAIA Association advocates for the highest standards of professional conduct. Additionally, it furthers its educational mandate through the dissemination of research, webinars, videos, as well as its three publications-AllAboutAlpha.com, a leading online voice; The Journal of Alternative Investments; and the Alternative Investment Analyst Review. Finally, it connects alternative investment experts around the world through chapter events, networking and social media platforms. More information can be found at CAIA.org. The CAIA Foundation partners with industry-leading organizations to increase knowledge and talent in the field of alternative investments. The Foundation's website is http://foundation.caia.org.

About PAAMCO
Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company is a hedge fund of funds dedicated to offering strategic investment solutions to large, sophisticated institutional investors. Based in Irvine, California, PAAMCO was started in March 2000, has a global headcount of 132, and offices in London and Singapore. The firm's portfolio management team has both a strong academic background and years of experience in working with institutions and analyzing and creating multi-strategy portfolios of hedge funds.

About Kaplan Schweser
Kaplan Schweser, a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a leading provider of financial and accounting education for hundreds of thousands of business professionals around the world. For more information, please visit www.schweser.com. Kaplan, Inc. is a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses.

About John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (www.wiley.com), is a valued source of information and understanding, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations with content and services that include the works of more than 450 Nobel laureates. We publish professional/trade books, subscription products, training materials, and online applications and Web sites; scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, encyclopedias, books, and online products and services; and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners.

About Institutional Investor Journals
Institutional Investor Journals publishes the leading practitioner-focused journals read by institutional investors, portfolio managers and finance professionals worldwide and written and edited by leading practitioners and academics in their field. Each journal is regarded as the authoritative, practical reference guide on the most effective financial techniques and leading-edge investment strategies in the institutional marketplace. All journals offer in-depth, original and practical research in global investment and finance with an extensive online archive. Each Journal provides current analyses and strategic insights that translate into implementable ideas for global investment management professionals.

SOURCE CAIA Association