Chris J. Thomason

Barclays Global Investors Ltd. (BGI), based in London, became a part of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) in the US, which merged in 2009 with Barclays Global Investors (BGI). The combined firm operates under the BlackRock name and has retained the iShares brand. Originally founded in 1971, BGI managed assets for individual investors, government and corporate retirement plans, financial institutions, charities, endowments and unions. BGI, headquartered in New York City, was a leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. They offered a wide range of products including separate accounts, mutual funds and ETFs.