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2011 List of Speakers

DR. MARCIO MELLO – After being voted the best speaker at the 2010 Symposium, we had to bring Dr. Mello back. Dr. Mello is a Petroleum geologist with expertise in petroleum exploration, petroleum systems and petroleum geochemistry. This Brazilian, oil industry legend discovered the largest oil field in 40 years.

Dr. Mello spent 24 years in PETROBAS, most of them as the Head of the Petroleum Geochemistry Group. In 2000, he founded Analytical Solutions (AS) and Petroleum and Environment Geosciences (PEG) – considered the leading petroleum G&G and laboratory companies in Brazil. And in 2004, he founded HRT Petroleum – the leading G&G and environmental services and laboratory company in the Southern Hemisphere.

In addition to winning the Distinguished AAPG Achievement Award in 1998, and the Robert H Dott Sr. Memorial Award in 2000, Dr. Mello has published more than 300 papers about geology and geochemistry linked to petroleum exploration around the world.

BILL BONNER – Over 30 years ago, Bill founded Agora Inc. What began as a small publishing firm in D.C. in 1979, is now a “minimultinational,” organization with publishing offices in eight different countries on six different continents.  Agora Inc. proudly employs over 1,000 people from all over the world.

With Addison Wiggin, Bill has written two New York Times best-selling books, Financial Reckoning Day and Empire of Debt. Second editions of both books were re-released in 2009. Both works, which warned of the unsustainable economic trends, have been critically acclaimed and internationally distributed. He co-authored his third New York Times best-selling book, Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets, which offers concrete advice on how to avoid the public spectacle of modern finance. Bill has been a decade-long daily contributor and the driving force behind The Daily Reckoning, our flagship daily free e-letter that weaves information about the financial and political worlds, investing, and everyday life into an educational and entertaining format.

ADDSION WIGGIN — Addison Wiggin is the executive publisher of Agora Financial, LLC, a fiercely independent economic forecasting and financial research firm. He’s the creator and editorial director of Agora Financial’s daily 5 Min. Forecast and editorial director of The Daily Reckoning.

Wiggin is the founder of Agora Entertainment, executive producer and co-writer of I.O.U.S.A., which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, the 2009 Critics Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature, and was also shortlisted for a 2009 Academy Award.

He is the author of the companion book of the film I.O.U.S.A. and his second edition of The Demise of the Dollar… and Why it’s Even Better for Your Investments was just fully revised and updated. Wiggin is a three-time New York Times best-selling author whose work has been recognized by The New York Times Magazine, The Economist, Worth, The New York Times, The Washington Post as well as major network news programs. He also co-authored international bestsellers Financial Reckoning Day and Empire of Debt with Bill Bonner.

DOUG CASEY – As The highly respected publisher and Founder of Casey Research, Doug literally wrote the book on profiting during times of economic uncertainty. He’s the author of the best-seller Crisis Investing, and a true international man. He has lived in 12 and visited over 175 countries. He’s been writing newsletter and alert services for sophisticated investors for over 28 years, and has been the director of and advisor to 9 different financial corporations. His hard-nosed, take-no-prisoners presentations are always entertaining and educational and usually very controversial.

PATRICK COX – Patrick Cox has lived deep inside the world of transformative technologies for over 25 years. In the 1980s, he worked in computer software development and manufacturing. By the mid-1990s, he was a consultant for Netscape — the company that handled 90% of all Internet browsing traffic at the time.

He’s provided research for several public policy think tanks, and was an adviser to Fred Thompson throughout his presidential campaign and continues to consult for his national radio show. For several years, he contributed to a nationally syndicated radio show, Perspective on the Economy, which had over 160 stations and 1.5 million listeners. He was even a technical consultant for several Hollywood film producers. This expertise bought him to Agora Financial, where he heads Breakthrough Technology Alert, and Technology Profits Confidential, premium services that identify transformational technologies.

RICK RULE – Rick is a legendary natural resource investor, with nearly 40 years of experience in the business. He began his career in the securities business in 1974 and has been principally involved in natural resource securities ever since. In 1993, Rick founded Global Resource Investments Ltd., which specializes in mining, energy, water utilities, forest products and agriculture. Global Resource Investments Ltd. recently merged with Sprott Asset Management, where Rick now sits on the Sprott Executive Team. Many distinguished financial newsletters frequently recommend his research and brokerage capabilities.

DOUG CLAYTON – Doug is the Managing Partner of Leopard Capital, which he founded in 2007. He has over 25 years of experience in emerging market investments. Doug lives and studies the “Frontier” exploring financial opportunities in unique places most have only dreamed of.

As a former senior executive at companies such as Indosuez WI Carr Securities, CLSA Securities, and Kerry Securities, Doug has managed investment teams all over the world – Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York City, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, and Chile. In the late 1990’s he founded Abacus Equity Partners, which developed and participated in many of Thailand’s most successful private equity investments.

In addition to his work at Leopard Capital, Doug serves as Technical Advisor to the Director-General of the Securities & Exchange Commission of Cambodia, and Trustee of the Center for Khmer Studies.

GARY SHAPIRO – Author of the best-selling book, The Comeback, and President/CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association – the U.S. trade association that represents more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies and owns and produces the continent’s largest annual tradeshow, the International CES®. Gary has testified before Congress as an expert on technology and business issues more than 20 times.

Gary’s list of awards and recognitions is quite impressive, to name a few – The Hill has recognized Gary as a “top lobbyist” in Washington every year since 2006; and Washington Life magazine has named him one of the 100 most influential people in Washington, D.C. In 2003, Gary received the Digital Television Pioneers’ highest award as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV. Shapiro was also recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a “mastermind” for his work in creating the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection (ICOLP).

He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy, and the Board of Directors of the Washington Economic Club.

BARRY RITHOLTZ – Barry is the CEO and Director of Equity Research at Fusion IQ, an online quantitative research firm.

When he’s not introducing institutional grade quant research products to the public, Barry is blogging. He uses his blog The Big Picture share his macro perspective on the capital markets and the economy. He was named one of the “15 Most Important Economic Journalists” in the United States – and he’ll tell you that’s quite an honor, considering he is not a journalist. Barry’s also the author of the book Bailout Nation, published by Wiley & Co. in 2009, which has become the best reviewed book on the bailouts to date.

He was the dedicatee of the The 2007 Stock Trader’s Almanac‘s 40th Anniversary Edition. Barry is a sought after speaker, and regularly speaks to investor conferences, media panels and graduate Schools.

JUAN ENRIQUEZ – Juan is the Chairman and CEO of Biotechonomy LLC, a life sciences research and investment firm. Cutting edge technology fund manager, best selling author, and renowned genomics expert – Juan is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on the economic and political impacts of life sciences.

Juan was part of a world discovery voyage led by Craig Venter, who sequenced the human genome. The team sailed the world, sampling microbial genomes throughout the world’s oceans, which led to the discovery of an extraordinary number of new species.

Juan was the Founding Director of the Harvard Business School Life Sciences Project and has published several articles including, Transforming Life, Transforming Business: the Life Science Revolution, co-authored with Ray Goldberg, which received a McKinsey Prize in 2000 (2nd place). He has also served as CEO of Mexico City’s Urban Development Corporation, Coordinator General of Economic Policy and Chief of Staff for Mexico’s Secretary of State.

JOHN MAULDIN — John Mauldin is a renowned financial expert, a New York Times best-selling author, and a pioneering online commentator.

Mauldin’s weekly e-newsletter, Thoughts from the Frontline, was one of the first publications to provide investors with free, unbiased information and guidance. Today, it is the most widely distributed investment newsletter in the world. Mauldin also offers The Mauldin Circle, a free service that connects investors to an exclusive network of money managers and alternative investment opportunities.

Mauldin is a frequent contributor to publications including The Financial Times and The Daily Reckoning, as well as a regular guest on CNBC, Yahoo Tech Ticker, and Bloomberg TV. His books include Bull’s Eye Investing: Targeting Real Returns in a Smoke and Mirrors Market, Just One Thing: Twelve of the World’s Best Investors Reveal the One Strategy You Can’t Overlook, and Endgame: The End of the Debt Supercycle and How it Changes Everything. He also edits the free weekly e-letter Outside the Box.

Mauldin is the President of Millennium Wave Advisors, an investment advisory firm registered with multiple states. He is also a registered representative of Millennium Wave Securities, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

FRANK HOLMES — Frank Holmes is CEO and Chief Investment Officer of U.S. Global Investors, Inc., which manages a diversified family of mutual funds and hedge funds specializing in natural resources, emerging markets and infrastructure.

The company’s funds have earned many awards and honors during Mr. Holmes’ tenure, including more than two dozen Lipper Fund Awards and certificates.

The Global Resources Fund (PSPFX) was Lipper’s top-performing global natural resources fund in 2010. In 2009, the World Precious Minerals Fund (UNWPX) was Lipper’s top-performing gold fund, the second time in four years for that achievement. In addition, both funds received 2007 and 2008 Lipper Fund Awards as the best overall fund in their respective categories.

Mr. Holmes was 2006 mining fund manager of the year for Mining Journal, a leading publication for the global resources industry, and he is co-author of The Goldwatcher: Demystifying Gold Investing.

He is also an advisor to the International Crisis Group, which works to resolve global conflict, and the William J. Clinton Foundation on sustainable development in nations with resource-based economies.

Mr. Holmes was previously a research analyst, portfolio manager and managing director of corporate finance in Canada.  He is a former president and chairman of the Toronto Society of the Investment Dealers Association, and he served on the Toronto Stock Exchange’s Listing Committee.

BRENT COOK — Brent Cook, a renowned Exploration Analyst and Geologist, is the author of Exploration Insights, a mining and exploration investment letter. He has over thirty years of experience providing economic and geologic evaluations to major mining companies, resource funds and investors.  He has worked in over 60 countries on virtually every mineral deposit type on projects ranging from grassroots projects through feasibility studies and bank audits.  He was principal Mining and Exploration Analyst to Global Resource Investments through 2003 where he provided analysis to retail brokers and two in-house funds. His newsletter selectively covers junior mining and exploration investment opportunities.

KEITH FITZ-GERALD — Keith Fitz-Gerald is the chief investment strategist for Money Map Press, which has more than 600,000 subscribers worldwide. He is one of the world’s leading experts on global investing, and is regularly sought out for media interviews and to speak at top financial conferences around the world.

He writes regularly for Money Morning and The Money Map Report. And he is the editor of The New China Trader, The Geiger Index and The Micro-Quake Alert, specialized investment services that set the pace for analysis and investing recommendations for the new global economy.

Fitz-Gerald is a former professional trade advisor and CTA, who advised institutions and qualified individuals on global futures trading and hedging. 

Fitz-Gerald is also a founding Fellow of the respected Kenos Circle, a Vienna, Austria-based think tank dedicated to the identification of economic and financial trends using the science of complexity. 

Fitz-Gerald appears on, contributes to or has been interviewed by such lead media organizations as Fox, MarketWatch, Reuters, Barron’s and Bloomberg.

Fitz-Gerald was named a Business Visionary by Forbes and was recently profiled in SuperSectors, along with Jim Rogers, Marc Faber and others. 

His own book, Fiscal Hangover: How to Profit from the New Global Economy (Wiley 2009) continues to receive strong reviews. Fitz-Gerald splits his time between the United States and Asia with his wife and two children and regularly travels the world in search of investment opportunities others don’t yet see or understand.

PETER CHARLES – Peter is the COO and Interim Co-Chief Executive Officer of Protext Mobility – a mobile applications developer. He has over 18 years of experience in financial markets and is a mobile convergence expert.

Peter began his career at Oppenheimer & Co., a full service investment firm. At Oppenheimer, he was registered as a General Securities Professional and was licensed for Sales Supervision and Management. He then went to Thorium Power, now (Lightbridge Corporation), a developer of novel nuclear fuels, where he played a crucial role in the company attaining a NASDAQ listing. Peter was also an industry expert for the Nuclear Energy Institute, promoting the development and use of nuclear energy.

STEPHEN JOHNSTON – Canadian farmland fund manager and Partner at Agcapita Partners, Stephen has over 15 years experience as a fund manager from both the private equity and debt markets perspectives.

He spent many years managing multi-million dollar funds for Societe Generale Asset Management and then for Nexus Equity.

At European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Stephen helped provide debt and equity financing to companies based in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He was also a strategy consultant, implementing risk management systems for Swedish investment banking clients, at AT Kearney.

EGON VON GREYERZ — Egon von Greyerz (EvG) is the Founder and Managing Partner of Matterhorn Asset Management AG. EvG started his working life in Geneva as a banker and thereafter spent 17 years as Finance Director and Vice-Chairman of Dixons Group (DSG International Plc) in London, the UK’s largest electronic and electrical retailer. Since the 1990s Egon von Greyerz has been actively involved with financial investment activities including Mergers and Acquisitions and Asset allocation consultancy for private family funds. This has led to the creation of Matterhorn Asset Management. EvG has also held a number of non-executive board memberships.

BYRON KING – Byron is our resident geologist, an honors graduate of Harvard University. After Harvard, Byron went to work as a geologist for a major international oil company. Byron has followed developments in the oil and gas industry for more than three decades. Byron also served for many years in the United States Navy. He holds advanced degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and the U.S. Naval War College and he practiced law in Pittsburgh for many years before joining Agora Financial.

Byron is now the editor of Outstanding Investments (which was just named the top-performing newsletter in its category by The Hulbert Financial Digest and his exclusive investment advisory, Energy & Scarcity Investor. He is also a contributing editor to Whiskey & Gunpowder and Daily Resource Hunter. Combining all of his background and extensive knowledge, Byron looks at current events, economics, politics and energy issues through the lens of history — and interprets it as he sees it.

CHRIS MAYER – Chris began his career at the University of Maryland, where he studied finance up to the graduate level and received an MBA. He then began a decade-long career in corporate banking and served as the vice president of corporate lending at Provident Bank, where he was entrusted with a corporate portfolio of funds and deposits that totaled over a quarter of a billion dollars.

He never lost money on a single deal. Not one to take risks with other people’s money, Chris wasn’t your typical corporate banker. In fact, Chris is a history buff, a voracious reader who’s drawn to old books filled with ideas long forgotten by the mainstream.

In 2004 Chris joined Agora Financial, where he now serves triple duty as Agora Financial’s managing editor, and editor of Capital & Crisis and Mayer’s Special Situations. He also wrote the best-seller Invest Like a Dealmaker: Secrets From a Former Banking Insider. He offers refreshing and promising investment ideas, with a unique flair for historic perspective.

ALAN KNUCKMAN – Alan Knuckman hails from the home of commodity trading, Chicago, where he began as a clerk on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Alan has worked with all aspects of the commodity markets for the past 18 years – he now brings his inside knowledge on energies, grains and gold to Agora Financial readers as the editor of Resource Trader Alert — a trading service devoted to raking in profits from hard commodities. Alan is a go-to expert for major news organizations such as Bloomberg TV, Fox Business Network, CNN, CNBC and Sky Business News in Australia and is a frequent guest on WGN Radio.

Prior to joining Resource Trader Alert, Knuckman served as the president and developer of GlobalTec’s Commodity Explorer product line. In that capacity, he oversaw all aspects of the decision-support software, the direct access trading platform and educational training and support. Before his stint at GlobalTec, Knuckman was a division partner for major commodities and stock brokerage firms. In 2003, he formed OneStopOption.com Group in Chicago, bringing together securities, stock option and futures brokerage. His vast market experience has taught him that inevitably, everything is related to hard assets. As he says, “It all comes back to commodities.”

ABE COFNAS – Abe Cofnas is one of the top ranked currency (Forex) traders and has over 20 years of experience. In fact, Abe has written 3 books on the subject, and pioneers an under-the-radar market strategy called “Binary Options”.

Cofnas is the managing editor of the Strategic Currency Trader, Agora’s primary source for currencies information. He has also been Futures Magazine’s Forex Trader columnist since 2001, having written over 100 pieces.

ADRIAN DAY – Adrian Day is considered a pioneer in promoting the benefits of global and resource investing, and has written 2 books on the subject. Adrian has been helping investors manage their money for over 25 years. In 1991, he founded Adrian Day Asset Management a global money management firm that serves private investors and small institutions. He is also the editor of Adrian Day’s Global Analyst, a premium advisory service that has gained one of North America’s largest subscription audiences.

CHUCK BUTLER — Chuck Butler is president of EverBank World Markets, a division of EverBank, and author of the popular Daily Pfennig newsletter, which is reposted at The Daily Reckoning. He provides analysis backed by a career of nearly 40 years in the investment services and currency industries. At EverBank, Mr. Butler oversees the World Markets trading desk and operations for more than 50,000 individual and corporate clients, both in the United States and abroad. In addition, he is the senior editor of The Currency Capitalist.

In 1998, Mr. Butler founded the brokerage company that became EverTrade Direct Brokerage. He had served as chief international bond trader and director of risk management for the Mark Twain Bank from 1992 to 1998, during which time he was responsible for trading global bonds and currencies as well as overall risk management. Prior to that, Mr. Butler was director of operations for the fixed income division of the Mark Twain Bank. In 2001, he was one of the first to predict the long-term weakening of the U.S. dollar. A respected analyst of the currency market, Mr. Butler is frequently tapped for appearances or commentary by organizations including The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, MarketWatch, USAToday, CNNfn, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, and the Chicago Tribune.

FRANK TROTTER — Mr. Trotter has served as an Executive Vice President of EverBank Financial Corp since 2009, as an Executive Vice President of EverBank and President of EverBank Direct since 2002. He leads EverBank’s consumer direct distribution channel and is a founding partner of EverBank.com, a national branchless bank that was acquired by the current EverBank in 2002. Mr. Trotter previously served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Mercantile Bank Capital Markets and Director of the International Markets Division at Mark Twain Bank, where he created the WorldCurrency® family of deposits and directed the global launch of eCashSM. Mr. Trotter has over 30 years experience in the banking industry.

He is a widely quoted speaker on financial topics, especially currency markets. Publications focusing on WorldCurrency® or recently quoting Mr. Trotter include The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, CBS MarketWatch, USA Today, CNNfn and The Chicago Tribune, among others. Frank graduated from St. Olaf College and holds an MBA in Finance and International Finance from Washington University.

MATT BADIALI – Matt Badiali is the editor of the The S&A Resource Report, a monthly investment advisory that focuses on the oil, energy, and mining sectors as investment — from small exploration outfits to equipment companies to the biggest resource companies in the world.

Matt spent the last five years flying all around the world for Stansberry Research, digging up the best resource investments. He has a Masters in Geology from Florida Atlantic University.

PETER COOPER — Peter Cooper is the editor and publisher of ArabianMoney, the only independent investment newsletter published in the Middle East. He has lived and worked as a financial journalist in Dubai for 15 years, and was a founder of the AME Info website that sold-out to EMAP in 2006. ArabianMoney also has a free website ArabianMoney.net. Mr Cooper went Oxford University and studied politics and economics with the current UK Foreign Minister William Hague. He has written three books, two on Dubai.

DAVID FRANKLIN — David joined Sprott Asset Management Inc. in 2008 as a Research Analyst and divided his time between Sprott Asset Management LP and Sprott Consulting. David’s main focus was on equity research within the precious metals and materials sectors. In April 2009 David became the co-author of the monthly Markets at a Glance articles with Eric Sprott and subsequently became Market Strategist in February 2010.

David was named CEO of Sprott Private Wealth in March 2011 and now oversees the business unit of Sprott that provides wealth management services to high-net worth individuals, foundations and trusts. A frequent guest speaker at conferences across the globe, David has also been featured in numerous newspaper articles and television shows, providing insights on the ever changing financial landscape.  David previously worked at Integral Wealth Securities and Toll Cross Securities in Institutional Equity Sales. He has an Honours Degree in Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University and has over 7 years of experience in the financial industry.

KARIM RAHEMTULLA — Dubbed a “market maven” by CNBC, Karim Rahemtulla is one of the country’s foremost specialists in options trading. As founder and editor of The Smart Cap Alert, he focuses his efforts on all aspects of options trading – LEAPS, put selling/covered calls and spreads. Karim’s also the Head of Emerging Markets, with more than 20 years of experience in trading such international markets. Educated in England, Canada and the United States, he’s fluent in several languages. His undergraduate studies were completed in Economics/Foreign Languages. His graduate studies resulted in a Master’s in Finance. Karim travels the world regularly, seeking out the best investment opportunities. And is a featured speaker at more than a dozen frontline conferences, annually.

ERIC FRY – Agora Financial’s editorial director, Eric has been a specialist in international equities for nearly two decades. He was a professional portfolio manager for more than 10 years, specializing in international investment strategies and short selling. Eric then joined the Wall Street-based publishing operations of James Grant, editor of the prestigious Grant’s Interest Rate Observer, where he produced Grant’s International and Apogee Research — institutional research products dedicated to international investment opportunities and short selling.

Eric subsequently joined Agora Inc. and directs and supervises the editorial and research processes of numerous investment letters and services. Eric also publishes investment insights and commentary under his own byline as editor of The Daily Reckoning.