NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ARK Investment Management (ARK), a registered investment adviser and privately held investment firm focused on thematic investing, today announced the appointment of Jane Kanter as Chief Operating Officer.

Ms. Kanter joins ARK from international law firm Dechert LLP where she worked for over 17 years as a senior partner in the firm's financial services group.  Prior to Dechert, Ms. Kanter was in private practice specialized in corporate and securities law matters for more than a decade.  Before that she was Vice President and Legal Counsel at T. Rowe Price and Associates and Special Counsel and Head of the Disclosure Study in the SEC's Division of Investment Management.  Ms. Kanter has over 30 years experience advising investment companies, investment advisers, fund boards, and broker-dealers.  Over the past decade Ms. Kanter has focused her practice on exchange traded funds (ETFs), private funds and significant transactional work involving financial service firms.  Since 2005, she has been recognized as a leading lawyer, in her field by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Best Lawyers in America.

Ms. Kanter is also an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School, specializing in Investment Company and Investment Adviser Act matters.  She holds an LL.M (in tax law) from Washington University School of Law and received her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Under the guidance of Ms. Kanter, ARK was recently granted exemptive relief from the SEC to launch a suite of actively managed equity ETFs.  Founded by Catherine Wood, former Chief Investment Officer of Thematic Portfolios at AllianceBernstein, ARK invests in themes that are technologically enabled and participate in disruptive innovation across a number of sectors. Investment funds will include The Genomic Revolution, Industrial Innovation and Web x.0.  The range of industries includes robotics, 3-D printing, personalized medicine, genetic sequencing, cloud computing and social media.

Commenting on the appointment, ARK's founder and CEO Cathie Wood, said: "Jane's securities law knowledge is unparalleled, and she has already played an pivotal role in launching ARK.   Her approach to innovation makes her a great fit for the firm. ARK is looking to disrupt the world of asset management and Jane's experience, creativity and non-linear approach to change integrates seamlessly with our investment strategy."

Ms. Kanter said: "ARK brings a unique perspective to the sector and with it an inspiring level of energy, vision and passion. I am excited to begin a new chapter and to work even more closely with Cathie and her team."

About ARK Investment Management

Headquartered in New York City, ARK Investment Management is a registered investment adviser and privately held investment firm, specializing in thematic investing. The firm is rooted in over thirty years of experience in identifying and investing in disruptive innovations which enable outsized growth as industries transform. Through its open-source research ecosystem, ARK is able to identify companies that are leading and benefiting from disruptive forces that are cutting across economic sectors and changing how the world works.

SOURCE ARK Investment Management