William E. Small is, and has been since 1996, an independent management consultant providing merger and acquisition advice as well as strategic planning to high technology, information and financial services companies. Mr. Small was Executive Vice President of First Data Investor Services Group from 1993 to 1996, a firm with $300 million in annual revenues which provides services to the mutual fund industry. Previously, Mr. Small served in a variety of senior management roles with companies involved in computer systems consulting and banking and investment activities, including President and Chief Executive Officer of Mellon Financial Services Group. Mr. Small has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an M.S. in Management from the Sloan School at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.