Read, Mindich to helm hedge committees

The President’s Working Group on Financial Markets yesterday chose two leaders in the asset management world to head efforts to define best practices for hedge funds. Russell Read, chief investment officer of the California Public Employees Retirement System, will be the chair of the Investors Committee. Eric Mindich, CEO of Eton Park Capital Management, will be the chair of the Asset Managers’ Committee. The two committees were created by the Henry Paulson, Treasury secretary and chair of the President’s Working Group, to create dialogue on the regulatory issues and risks to the private sector industry. Both committees will develop best practices using the Working Group’s principles-based guidance, and then distribute these guidelines to market participants. Members of the Asset Managers’ Committee Daniel S. Och, CEO of Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC of New York and James Chanos, president of Kynikos Associates LP in New York. New members on the investors’ side include Damon Silvers, associate general counsel of the AFL-CIO in Washington and Andrew Golden, president of Princeton University Investment Co. in Princeton, N.J.