BEAR STEARNS makes two key appointments to further bolster its global emerging markets equity research effort

New York , NY .— Focused on further strengthening its global emerging markets equity research, Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. today announced two appointments in the Latin America/EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) Equity Research team. In addition to his existing role as Global Emerging Markets Strategist and Latin America Equity Strategist, Thierry Wizman has been named Deputy Director of Global Emerging Markets Research and Saul Martinez has been named Latin American Financial Services analyst. Mr. Wizman and Mr. Martinez report to Rowe Michels, Director of Global Emerging Markets Research.

“Bear Stearns’ emerging markets research has consistently ranked among the best on Wall Street and has become synonymous with high quality,” said Mr. Michels. Since 2002, Bear Stearns has ranked among the top four in Institutional Investor’s Latin America Research Team survey. “Thierry’s and Saul’s appointments are certain to make our research offering even more valuable and robust.”

Mr. Wizman, a senior managing director who has ranked since 2002 in II’s Latin America Research poll for equity strategy, will be responsible for product development in emerging markets equity research and the group’s business strategy. Before joining Bear Stearns in 2000, Thierry Wizman was a principal and co-founder of two global hedge funds, first for Caspian Securities and then for Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Wizman began his career in 1991 as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Mr. Wizman holds a B.A. in economics from Vassar College, and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University, where he also served as teaching fellow from 1987 to 1991.

Mr. Martinez is a managing director who joined Bear Stearns in November 2000 and originally covered Latin American banks. He transitioned to cover the US life insurance industry in November 2003. For two years prior to that, Saul Martinez was an investment banker focusing on both insurance M&A and real estate investment banking at JP Morgan. He has a Masters in Public Affairs with an economics concentration from Princeton University and B.A. in Political Science with a focus on international affairs from UCLA.