The Transform Supply Chain ETF is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that invests in U.S.-listed equity, American depositary receipt (“ADR”) securities, and non-U.S. developed and emerging market-listed securities, which over time may vary as market and investment opportunities change. The Fund may also enter into currency-related spot transactions when it transacts in equities denominated in foreign currencies or invest in certain derivative instruments, such as currency futures or forwards that will help the Adviser manage risk associated with foreign currency exposure, if any, or futures contracts. The Fund’s investments may include micro-, small-, medium- and large-capitalization equities of companies. The Adviser expects to hold between 20-40 equities within the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund’s equity securities include, but are not limited to, common stock, preferred stock and private investments in public equity (“PIPEs”).

The Adviser expects to invest in the equities of companies that it deems are creating value through supply chain transformation. A supply chain is defined as a network between a company and its suppliers to produce and distribute a specific product to the final buyer. According to the Adviser, companies are transforming their own or others’ supply chains by reshoring manufacturing jobs, automating and/or innovating business operations, or through transportation enablement. Portfolio companies are primarily those that the Adviser believes are creating value or minimizing risks as it relates to their supply chains or the supply chains of others. Companies are from no one particular industry; instead, they are from a broad range of industries such as factory automation, transportation providers, industrial goods and services, alternative energy, semiconductors and semiconductor capital equipment, materials, or waste management & recycling.

Companies are typically chosen from the Morningstar® US Market Extended TR USD Index℠ but may be selected from a universe of U.S. and non-U.S. listed equity securities that span across sectors, including but not limited to consumer discretionary, industrials, materials, and technology. The Morningstar® US Market Extended TR USD Index℠ is a broad-based free-float market capitalization weighted index comprised of U.S. large, mid, and small capitalization equity securities that span all sectors of the U.S. economy. It does not incorporate environmental, social and governance criteria into its methodology, nor is it an index comprised of equities of companies that could be considered as aiding the supply chain.

When selecting equities of companies for the portfolio, the Adviser will assess a company’s strategy and financial performance by doing things such as attending company earnings calls, interviewing management, visiting company headquarters and manufacturing plants, reviewing company reports such as Form 10-K’s, financial statements (i.e., balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows), publicly available and sell-side research and performing fundamental financial analyses such as company financial modeling and ratio analysis. The Adviser also expects to include, as part of its company assessments, additional company reporting, targets, progress, and strategic positioning, such as:

Companies whose leadership has made it a strategic business focus, made changes to its business operations, or made commitments that address sustainability factors specific to supply chain instability & insecurity such as:

Such companies will be identified and assessed through reporting on targets and progress through various sources, such as regulatory filings, annual reports, or shareholder meetings, related to:

The Adviser may consider environmental and governance risk factors as part of its investment process, particularly in considering how each company’s management of these factors may ultimately drive financial performance. The Adviser does not use aggregated environmental or governance ratings or rankings to exclude specific companies or sectors from investment, but instead generally uses its own proprietary analysis of each company’s risk factors to make better informed decisions.

The Adviser may utilize a quantitative and/or a qualitative approach to measuring the effects of company supply chains, based on both public information as well as a due diligence process (noted above) undertaken by the Adviser with respect to potential investments that focuses on key impacts on supply chains.

As part of its due diligence process for prospective and ongoing investments, the Adviser then assesses the ways those decisions may affect company revenue and earnings projections, discount rates, terminal values (i.e., the calculated rate at which it is assumed its cash flows will grow at forever), and valuations particularly through changes in regulation; customer or employee preferences; and competitive risk from innovation or disruption.

These criteria by which the Adviser assesses companies for investment by the Fund will be applied to all investments by the Fund except for temporary investments or investments in cash equivalents.

In furtherance of its investment objective and where the Adviser believes it will be rewarded in the stock price, the Fund seeks to encourage best practices in corporate governance through the application of its proxy voting guidelines and it may have dialogue with management of the portfolio companies. The proxy voting guidelines are based on a commitment to protecting and enhancing the value of the Fund’s assets and driving increased transparency in order to create long-term value. Additional information on the Adviser’s proxy voting guidelines is included in the Fund’s SAI, and a copy of the proxy voting policy is available at: https://www.tcw.com/ Global-Proxy-Voting-Policy.

The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the value of any collateral received), however it is a priority of the Adviser and the Fund to vote all proxies, so securities lending revenue may be foregone as a result. The Fund is a “non-diversified” fund, and, as such, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than funds that are “diversified.”