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Rotman Professor Honoured by The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association

Toronto , December 13, 2010 – The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (PRMIA) announced last week that a professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management was chosen as the winner of the 2010 PRMIA Higher Standard Award. This award is granted to an individual who has significantly impacted the global practice of risk management, provided a substantial contribution to the mission of PRMIA and its members, and shows an ongoing commitment to the highest standards of the profession.

John Hull, the Maple Financial Professor of Derivatives and Risk Management at the. Rotman School, is an internationally recognized authority on derivatives and risk management and has many publications in this area. He has written three books “Risk Management and Financial Institutions” (now in its second edition), "Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives" (eighth edition to be published shortly) and "Fundamentals of Futures and Options Markets" (now in its seventh edition). The books have been translated into many languages and are widely used in trading rooms throughout the world. He was voted Financial Engineer of the Year in 1999 by the International Association of Financial Engineers and is co-director of Rotman’s Master of Finance program.

“When a highly respected academic seeks to serve the greater good by directing their energy toward furthering the financial risk management profession, it is worthy of note,” said Professor Carol Alexander, Chair of Financial Risk Management, ICMA Centre, Henley Business School at Reading Whiteknights and PRMIA Board Chair. “Incentives in the academic world are not always aligned with such service,” she continued. “John Hull is perhaps the first of those rare academics who achieve greatness in both personal research and service to the profession. He has become a role model for many, including myself.”

Professor Hull has been involved with PRMIA since its inception and is highly respected by the organization’s leadership and members. Professor Alexander explains, “At PRMIA, John’s volunteer work is directed at both grass roots and global development. He is very active in local chapters and he has been working with us for several years to pioneer our training courses and webinars. John still holds the record as the biggest draw of any PRMIA chapter event speaker, bringing in more than 450 attendees to a speech in Toronto where delegates were surrounding him on the balconies above the venue just to fit in. We are very happy to recognize the terrific value of John’s work – not only within PRMIA but for the entire finance industry – by presenting him the PRMIA Higher Standard Award for 2010.”

Upon receiving the award, Professor Hull said, “It is a great honor to receive this award. I have enjoyed working with PRMIA on a number of projects.”

As the winner of this year’s award, Professor Hull was given the opportunity to select a scholar or student in the field of risk management to receive a US$1,000 grant. He selected Selwyn Yuen, who is currently enrolled in Rotman’s Master of Finance program. Prof. Hull says, “Selwyn has an outstanding academic record and is the best student we have had in the three-year life of the program. He is very deserving of this grant.”

PRMIA is a non-profit, member-led association with more than 60 chapters over 72,000 members worldwide. PRMIA is dedicated to defining and implementing the best practices of risk management through education, training, events, networking and online resources. PRMIA offers its members two levels of risk management certification – the Professional Risk Manager’s (PRM) designation and Associate PRM certificate. More information can be found at www.prmia.org .

For the latest thinking on business, management and economics from the Rotman School of Management, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca/NewThinking .

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is redesigning business education for the 21st century with a curriculum based on Integrative Thinking. Located in the world’s most diverse city, the Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables the design of creative business solutions. The School is currently raising $200 million to ensure Canada has the world-class business school it deserves. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca.

Ken McGuffin
Manager, Media Relations
Rotman School of Management
Voice: (416) 946-3818
E-mail: mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca