Ryan K. Brist has been the Head of U.S. Investment Grade Credit of Western Asset Management since 2009. Prior to that time, he is the chief investment officer and senior portfolio manager for Logan Circle Partners. Prior to joining Logan Circle Partners, he was co-head of the fixed income department at Delaware Investments where he oversaw the fixed income investment process, and was primarily responsible for the total return-based products. Prior to joining Delaware Investments, he was a member of the portfolio management team that managed Conseco Capital Management’s investment grade core and core plus products for five years. He previously worked in investment banking as an analyst for Dean Witter Reynolds in New York. Mr. Brist holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana University.

Leech transitioned into a CIO Emeritus role in September 2008 and joined Western Asset as Chief Investment Officer in 1990. Prior to joining Western in 1990, he was a portfolio manager with Greenwich Capital Markets from 1988 to 1990; the First Boston Corporation from 1980 to 1988; and the National Bank of Detroit from 1977 to 1980. He has over 32 years of investment experience.

Michael Buchanan, Managing Director, is head of US credit products, a senior member of the Core Fixed Income team and a member of the Global Credit Committee. He joined in 2003 from Janus Capital Management, where he was an Executive Vice President and managed high yield portfolios. Previously, he was a Managing Director at BlackRock Financial Management, where he was a senior high yield portfolio manager and a member of the firm’s investment strategy group; and a Vice President at Conseco Capital Management, where he managed high yield portfolios and was responsible for the trading of high yield debt, bank loans and emerging market debt. Mr. Buchanan holds a BA in business economics and organizational behavior/management from Brown University. He is a CFA charterholder.