Mesirow Advanced Strategies Names Thomas Macina President; Eric Siegel Appointed to Investment Committee

CHICAGO, July 21, 2009 — Mesirow Advanced Strategies, Inc. (MAS) today announced that Thomas Macina, head of manager research, has been named president of MAS, reporting to Marty Kaplan, chief executive officer of MAS. The firm also announced that it has appointed Eric Siegel, chief operating officer and head of operational due diligence, to the MAS Investment Committee.

"These appointments represent the overall focus at Mesirow Advanced Strategies on delivering excellence in manager evaluation and due diligence," said Mr. Kaplan. "Eric and Tom have helped us set high industry standards, and with their continued leadership our clients can be assured that we remain consistent and committed to our fundamental investment philosophy and investment processes."

Mr. Macina joined MAS in 2003 and has been a member of the firm's investment committee since 2005. Over this period he has led a number of key strategic initiatives, including enhancing and refining the firm's research platform, recruiting top tier investment talent, and streamlining decision making processes.

Mr. Siegel, who has headed operational due diligence at MAS since 2002, will provide additional leadership as a member of the Investment Committee to maintain and strengthen the firm's focus on evaluating hedge fund managers' business operations and organizational infrastructure. Operational due diligence continues to be a critical component of the MAS investment process.

"Our Advanced Strategies business has placed great emphasis on building an efficient and effective management and investment team structure," said James C. Tyree, chairman and CEO of Mesirow Financial. "The team that Marty Kaplan has assembled brings together some of the best minds and most talented professionals in the business. Their diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, combined with their solid working relationship from having worked together for many years, create a very powerful leadership team behind one of our firm's most successful businesses."

Mesirow Advanced Strategies, Inc. is one of the largest alternative asset managers in the world with more than $10 billion in assets under management and was recently recognized as one of the top three fund of hedge fund managers of pension assets worldwide. Its parent company, Mesirow Financial, is a major independent financial services firm offering Investment Management, Investment Services, Insurance Services, Investment Banking, Consulting and Real Estate. The firm has more than $31 billion in assets under management and 1,100 employees in locations across the country and in the United Kingdom. For more information about Mesirow Financial, visit its Web site at www.mesirowfinancial.com.

For more information, contact: Katie Schimmel, Mesirow Financial, 312.595.6684.

The Mesirow Financial name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc., © 2009, Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not necessarily complete and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Any opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. It should not be assumed that any recommendations incorporated herein will be profitable or will equal past performance. Nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any Mesirow Financial investment vehicle(s).

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