John Calamos is Chairman and Global CIO of Calamos Investments, the firm he founded in 1977. With origins as an institutional convertible bond manager, Calamos Investments has grown into a global asset management firm with institutional and individual clients worldwide. Headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area, the firm also has offices in New York, San Francisco, Milwaukee and the Miami area. Mr. Calamos established research and investment processes centered around a team-based approach designed to deliver superior risk-adjusted performance over full market cycles through a range of U.S. and global investment solutions including equity, fixed income, convertible and alternative strategies. As a pioneer in convertible securities, Calamos launched one of the first convertible funds in 1985 as a way to manage risk for clients in volatile times. He also established one of the first liquid alternative funds in 1990, reflecting a focus on innovation that continues to this day. Mr. Calamos has built a reputation for using investment techniques to control risk, preserve capital and build wealth for clients over the long term. With more than 50 years of industry experience, he is often quoted as an authority on risk-managed investment strategies, markets, and the economy. He is a frequent speaker at investment conferences around the world and appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Fox Business Channel. He has authored two books, Investing in Convertible Securities: Your Complete Guide to the Risks and Rewards and Convertible Securities: The Latest Instruments, Portfolio Strategies, and Valuation Analysis.   Prior to entering the investment industry, Mr. Calamos served in the United States Air Force. During the Vietnam War, he served as a Forward Air Controller, with responsibilities for guiding accurate air strikes and preventing injuries to friendly troops. His squadron was the first to fly the Cessna O-2, an aircraft in which he recorded over 400 missions in combat. Captain Calamos was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for “extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight under heavy hostile attack.” His Air Force career included five years of active duty flying B-52 bombers and twelve years in the Reserves flying A-37 jet fighters. He retired as a Major.   The son of Greek immigrants, Mr. Calamos is an active philanthropist supporting educational institutions and Hellenic organizations. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago. He is an investment committee member of the Faith Endowment, and a supporting member of the National Hellenic Society, Leadership 100 and The Hellenic Initiative. He received a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A. in Finance from Illinois Tech, where he established Endowed Chairs in Philosophy and Business and is also a member of the Board of Trustees. He received an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Hellenic College Holy Cross.

Jon Vacko is responsible for portfolio management and investment research. He joined the firm in 2000 and has 30 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Calamos, Jon was a credit analyst with Duff & Phelps Credit Rating (now part of Fitch Ratings) in the Financial Institutions Group and served as an examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He received a BBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

As a Co-Chief Investment Officer, John Hillenbrand is responsible for oversight of investment team resources, investment processes, performance and risk. As Head of Multi-Asset Strategies and Co-Head of Convertible Strategies, he manages investment team members and has portfolio management responsibilities for those investment verticals. He is also a member of the Calamos Investment Committee, which is charged with providing a top-down framework, maintaining oversight of risk and performance metrics, and evaluating investment process. John joined Calamos in 2002 and has 30 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Calamos, he served as an equity research analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston and ABN AMRO and as an Account Manager - Business Credit Group at Continental Bank. John received a BBA in Public Accounting from Loyola University and an MBA in Analytic Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Dennis Cogan is responsible for portfolio management and investment research for the firm’s global, international, and emerging market equity strategies. He joined Calamos in 2005 and has more than 20 years of industry experience. Previously, Dennis worked for Accenture in Strategic Planning and Analysis. He received a BS in Finance from Northern Illinois University.

As a Co-Chief Investment Officer, Nick Niziolek is responsible for oversight of investment team resources, investment processes, performance and risk. As Head of Global Strategies, he manages investment team members and has portfolio management responsibilities for international, global and emerging market strategies. He is also a member of the Calamos Investment Committee, which is charged with providing a top-down framework, maintaining oversight of risk and performance metrics, and evaluating investment process. Nick joined the firm in 2005 and has 20 years of industry experience, including tenures at ABN AMRO and Bank One. He received a BS in Finance and an MBA from DePaul University.

As a Co-Chief Investment Officer, Eli Pars is responsible for oversight of investment team resources, investment processes, performance and risk. As Head of Alternative Strategies and Co-Head of Convertible Strategies, he manages investment team members and has portfolio management responsibilities for those investment verticals. He is also a member of the Calamos Investment Committee, which is charged with providing a top-down framework, maintaining oversight of risk and performance metrics, and evaluating investment process. Eli has 34 years of industry experience, including 15 at Calamos. Prior to returning to Calamos in 2013, he was a Portfolio Manager at Chicago Fundamental Investment Partners, where he co-managed a convertible arbitrage portfolio. Previously, he held senior roles at Mulligan Partners LLC, Ritchie Capital and SAM Investments/The Hampshire Company. Earlier in his career, Eli was a Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager at Calamos. He received a BA in English Literature from the University of Illinois and an MBA with a specialization in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Joe Wysocki is responsible for portfolio management and investment research. He joined Calamos in 2003 and has more than 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Calamos, he worked on the fixed income team at Strong Capital Management. Joe received a BA in Economics with a minor in Computer Science from Lake Forest College and an MBA from Northern Illinois University.

As a Co-Chief Investment Officer, Matt Freund is responsible for oversight of investment team resources, investment processes, performance and risk. As Head of Fixed Income Strategies, he manages investment team members and has portfolio management responsibilities. He is also a member of the Calamos Investment Committee, which is charged with providing a top-down framework, maintaining oversight of risk and performance metrics, and evaluating investment process. Matt joined Calamos in 2016 and has more than 30 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Calamos, he was Chief Investment Officer of USAA Investments, leading the teams responsible for the portfolio management of USAA’s mutual funds and affiliated portfolios, including P&C and life insurance products, and overseeing more than $140 billion in assets. During this time, he also served as lead portfolio manager for several highly regarded fixed income mutual funds. Earlier in his career, Matt served as a senior investment analyst for MetLife in the Capital Markets Group. He received a BA in Accounting from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from Indiana University.