John P. Calamos, Sr., Paradigm Award Recipient

John P. Calamos, Sr.

John P. Calamos, Sr., is chairman, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of the firm he founded in 1977, which he took public as Calamos Asset Management in 2004. A pioneer in investment strategies and techniques to help manage risk, Mr. Calamos has created a reputation for using investment techniques to control risk, preserve capital and build wealth for clients over the long term. From its origins as an institutional convertible bond manager, Calamos Investments has grown into a diversified asset management firm with major institutional and individual clients in the U.S. and around the world. Mr. Calamos received his undergraduate degree in Economics and M.B.A. in Finance from the

Illinois Institute of Technology. Joining the United States Air Force after graduation, he served as a combat pilot during the Vietnam War and ultimately earned the rank of Major.

It was during his time in the Air Force that Mr. Calamos became intrigued by the risk management aspects of convertible bonds. By applying option price theory to the valuation of convertibles he was able to demonstrate the benefit of convertibles as part of an of investment strategy and began to attract institutional investors who remain clients today.

Mr. Calamos won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award for the financial services sector, Lake Michigan Area program for 2006. He is a member of the Investment Analysts Society of Chicago.

A frequent speaker at investment seminars and conferences, he has taught graduate level courses on finance and investments and is often quoted as an authority on risk-managed investment strategies in Barron's, Fortune, Forbes, Pensions & Investments, Financial World, Nation's Business, The Wall Street Journal and on CNBC and Bloomberg Forum.

Mr. Calamos has written two books: Investing in Convertible Securities: Your Complete Guide to the Risks and Rewards, and Convertible Securities: the Latest Instruments, Portfolio Strategies, and Valuation Analysis.

The author of a chapter on convertibles for the Pension Investment Handbook by Ibbotson Associates, he has also written articles for publications such as Personal Financial Planning, Pension World, Pensions & Investments, Journal of Investing and Financial Executive. Mr. Calamos' latest press interviews include appearances on Kudlow & Company, Bloomberg's Market Week, Open Exchange with Suzy Asaad, CNNfn's Halftime Report, and Nightly Business Report.

The son of Greek immigrants, John Calamos often expresses pride in his Greek heritage and the work ethic that he learned growing up in his family grocery store in Chicago. He learned first-hand from his parents that if he takes care of his customers, his business will prosper. In honor of his parents, he has made many contributions to various Greek American community endeavors, including a major gift to the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center in Chicago.