Mike Brunell, CFA, is a Vice President of SSGA and has been a member of the Fixed Income portfolio management team since 2004. In his current role as part of the Beta Solutions Group, he is responsible for developing and managing various funds and ETFs against a variety of conventional and custom bond index strategies. Previously, Mr. Brunell was responsible for managing the U.S. Bond Operations group which he had been a member of since 1997. He started his career in the investment management field when he joined the Mutual Fund Custody division of State Street in 1993. In this role he focused on the accounting and the valuation of various domestic and international equity and bond portfolios. Mr. Brunell earned a BS in Business Administration from Saint Michael's College and a MSF degree from Boston College. Additionally he earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the Boston Securities Analyst Society.

Christopher DiStefano is a Vice President of SSGA and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Beta Solutions Group within the Fixed Income, Cash and Currency Team. He joined the firm in 2010 and is responsible for managing several funds and ETFs within the investment-grade credit, government/credit, and short duration sectors. Prior to his current role, Mr. DiStefano was a member of the Global Graduate Rotational Program at SSGA, a two year cross-functional program engineered to provide candidates with a diverse skill set and a broad perspective. Previously, Mr. DiStefano worked as an engineer within the real estate development and transportation industries. Mr. DiStefano holds a Master of Business Administration from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, and a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois and Union College, respectively.