Mellody L. Hobson

Born: April 3, 1969, Chicago, Illinois,

Company: Ariel Capital Management,

Position: President, Ariel Capital Management, LLC; Chairman, Ariel Mutual Funds Board of Trustees,

Industry: Financial Services,

Country: United States

Mellody L. Hobson has served as the president and a director of Ariel Capital Management, LLC, a Chicago-based investment management firm, and as the chairman (since 2006) and a Trustee (since 2000) of Ariel Mutual Funds. Ariel Capital Management is one of the largest African American-owned money management and mutual fund companies in the U.S.

Ms. Hobson is responsible for firm wide management and strategic planning, overseeing all operations of Ariel's business outside of research and portfolio management. Last fall, she was elected Chairman of Ariel Mutual Funds Board of Trustees. She previously served as senior vice president and director of marketing at Ariel Capital Management, Inc. from 1994 to 2000, and as vice president of marketing at Ariel Capital Management, Inc. from 1991 to 1994.

Ms. Hobson has become an important and nationally recognized voice on financial literacy and investor education. She is a regular financial contributor on ABC's Good Morning America and a spokesperson for the annual Ariel/Schwab Black Investor Survey, which examines the investing habits of Black and White Americans. She was named one of The Wall Street Journal's 50 Women to Watch 2004 list and TIME magazines 2004 Global Business Influentials.

Beyond her work at Ariel, Ms. Hobson is a director of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. and Starbucks Corporation. She is also a board member of many civic organizations including the Chicago Public Library and its foundation, The Field Museum, The Chicago Public Education Fund and the Sundance Institute. She also serves on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute, a trade organization for the U.S fund industry dedicated to protecting shareholder interests and educating the public about investing. Additionally, she serves as a Trustee of Princeton University and a Term Member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations. Mellody is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Young President's Organization (YPO).

Mellody earned her degree from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations and Public Policy. She graduated from Chicago's St. Ignatius College Prep in 1987.