FINforums

About FINforums

  
FINforums, a division of FINalternatives, organizes exclusive, editorially-driven events that cater to the hedge fund industry. From cutting edge panel discussions to informative fireside chats and big name keynote addresses, FINforums events aim to educate audiences and facilitate debate. Networking and making new contacts are critical in the tight-knit hedge fund community, and each FINforums event allows ample time for attendees, speakers and sponsors to exchange new ideas and build up their networks of contacts.

FINforums is a joint venture of FINalternatives, Hedge Funds PR and John Seigenthaler of Seigenthaler Public Relations.

Principals
  

John Seigenthaler, CEO of Seigenthaler Public Relations-NY, develops and manages strategic communications programs for his clients. His extensive background as an award winning network television journalist provides clients with a unique perspective. He specializes in crisis communications, reputation management, new media strategies and executive media training. John spent more than a decade at the NBC television network as NBC News Special Correspondent and anchor of the top-rated “NBC Nightly News Weekend Edition.” He has won numerous awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for a series on the civil rights movement, the Headliner Award and the TV News Award from the President’s Committee on the Disabled. John is a graduate of Duke University. 

Deirdre Brennan is founder and publisher of FINalternatives, the premier, independent source for news on the alternative investment industry. Prior to founding FINalternatives in 2005, she was an editor at Institutional Investor News where she developed a series of online newsletters, including Hedge Fund Daily. Deirdre has extensive experience living and working overseas as a reporter and editor, including covering the changing political landscape in Central Europe. Deirdre currently serves on the media advisory board of the Hedge Fund Association, a non-profit trade group. She earned a BA in English and Journalism from Pepperdine University and an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University (SIPA), where she served as editor-in-chief of the prestigious Journal of International Affairs.

Mitch Ackles is founder and CEO of Hedge Fund PR. With over 20 years experience, Mitch has executed winning campaigns for hedge funds, political and economic leaders, service providers, luminaries, conference organizers, charitable organizations and local, national and global hedge fund groups. Before founding Hedge Fund PR in 2005, Mitch was marketing director for vFinance, VP of hedge fund capital introduction for Global Partners Group and worldwide marketing manager for Dow Jones TradeStation. Mitch is a director and spokesman for the non-profit trade group the Hedge Fund Association, and he also serves as the primary media contact for Hedge Funds Care, a global charitable organization which raises funds for programs that work to prevent and treat child abuse. Mitch holds a BA in PR and Communications.

William Thompson, Managing Director of Hedge Fund PR, previously held two C-level positions within print publications. He served as Chief Strategy Officer at a state-wide Florida lifestyle publication. While there, he developed a strategic growth plan that eventually led to the publication’s three-fold increase in circulation.  After this, William went on to serve as Publisher and CEO of a start-up magazine for Ivy League Alumni and Student Leaders that focused heavily on the financial services industry and luxury lifestyles. There he placed advertising from top-tier luxury goods firms, worked with 5 New York Times bestselling authors and arranged for two international celebrities to be featured on the cover.  Before entering the Publishing industry, William was a professional singer and recording artist. He holds both a BA in Music and an MBA in Marketing and International Business from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL.  He resides in Miami, FL where he is actively involved with a number of charities and nonprofits such as Hedge Funds Care, The Heritage Foundation and The University of Miami Alumni Association.