Annual Mutual Fund Meeting to Focus on Emerging Issues Beyond Year 2000

Washington, DC, May 10, 1999 – Leading industry executives, government officials, and industry analysts will address the mutual fund industry’s largest gathering of executives next week in Washington, DC. With the theme, "Continuing a Tradition of Integrity: Preparing for the New Millennium," the General Membership Meeting of the Investment Company Institute will be held May 19 – 21 at the Washington Hilton & Towers in Washington, DC.

This year’s program includes the following events. General Membership Meeting Chairman Robert C. Pozen, President and CEO of Fidelity Management & Research Company, and Institute Chairman John J. Brennan, Chairman and CEO of the Vanguard Group, will address the general session on May 20, at 9 am. The keynote address, "Fundamentals of Investing," will be delivered by Peter Lynch, Vice Chairman, Fidelity Management & Research Company, at 9:30 am.

At 2:30 pm., a panel of experts will discuss the pros and cons of private accounts within the Social Security program. Panelists include Fred T. Goldberg Jr., Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flam, and Robert D. Reischauer, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, the Brookings Institution. Mark Weinberger, Principal, Washington Counsel, PC, will moderate the discussion.

The day concludes with the 8 pm. General Membership Meeting dinner which will feature the presentation of the 12th Annual Journalism Awards for Excellence in Personal Finance Reporting, a program of the ICI Education Foundation and American University School of Communication. The dinner speaker is William Bennett, best-selling author and former Secretary of Education.

The theme for Friday, May 21, is "Emerging Issues for the Mutual Fund Industry Beyond the Year 2000." The session begins at 7:30 am. and includes remarks from Investment Company Institute President Matthew P. Fink and Paul F. Roye, Director of Investment Management, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

At 9:45 am., a session entitled, "The Outlook for Mutual Funds and Asset Managers," will feature Sallie Krawcheck, Securities Industry Analyst, Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, and Paul Schaeffer, Principal, Investment Counseling, Inc. The meeting’s closing session, "Industry Leaders Speak," begins at 10:45 am. with presentations by Lawrence J. Lasser, President and CEO, Putnam Investment Management, Inc.; Bridget Macaskill, President and CEO, OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and Robert C. Pozen, President and CEO, Fidelity Management and Research Company.

Other program highlights include a May 19 afternoon panel discussion by chief executives of major companies that market their products and services via the Internet. "Lessons the Fund Industry Can Learn from the Internet Experience" will include panelists Richard Owen, Vice President, Dell Online, Dell Computer Corporation; Jay S. Walker, Founder and Vice Chairman, priceline.com; and Meg Whitman, President and CEO, eBay, Inc. Financial Columnist Andy Tobias will moderate the discussion.

AgeWave Chairman Ken Dychtwald will discuss "Age Power: How the 21st Century will be Ruled by the New Old," on May 20 at 10:30 am. Former Clinton Administration Press Secretary Mike McCurry will be the May 20 luncheon speaker at 12:45 pm.

Working members of the news media wishing to cover this event must contact Kate Ennis in advance (202/326-8317) for required press credentials. Only accredited members of news organizations and qualified freelance writers are eligible for press credentials.