NAPERVILLE, Ill., Oct. 27, 1999 (PRIMEZONE) -- John P. Calamos, President and Chief Investment Officer of CALAMOS(R) ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. announced the addition of Rhowena Blank as Vice President and Operations Officer for the firm. Ms. Blank is a Certified Public Accountant and current candidate for the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. She also holds Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses. Commenting on Ms. Blank's hiring, Calamos said "We are excited about Ms. Blank's decision to join us and are confident in her strong financial experience. Her previous career with one of the major public accounting firms will complement our team. Our Operations Department has been reorganized to reflect the firm's consistent growth in assets under management and several new strategic partnerships."
Ms. Blank has previous experience in Mutual Funds operations at both a small and large firm in Illinois. She has also held the position of manager at Ernst and Young in their Financial Services Practice where she conducted operational and financial audits for both private and public companies. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana with B.S. degrees in Accounting and Business Education.
About CALAMOS ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.: CALAMOS ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. is an independent asset management firm specializing in convertible securities research and management. Headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, CALAMOS provides professional money management services to clients that include major corporations, public and private institutions, pension funds, insurance companies and individuals. The firm has experience in convertible bonds since 1977 and currently manages approximately $4.0 billion in assets.