Welcome Address: William Hickson, at Valuation Risk Forum - New York (June 9th 2009)

Valuation Risk Forum - New York (June 9th 2009) On Tuesday June 9th, Thomson Reuters hosted a Valuation Risk Forum at their offices in 3 Times Square, New York. A packed audience listened to a lively panel discussion on the future of pricing, risk and regulation. At this event www.ValuationWatch.net was launched. www.ValuationWatch.net is a global coverage website based on tracking government spending and its effects throughout the financial industry. The lively panel discussion at the Valuation Risk Forum (Tuesday June 9th) further highlighted that recent events in the global financial markets have put even more emphasis on the critical issue of valuation risk. The debate only proved that this topic is far from over and will no doubt be the subject of future forums. Forum attendees also received a copy of a new report by Aite created in conjunction with Thomson Reuters. Getting a Mark Is No Longer Enough: Valuation Risk Goes Beyond Pricing examines the challenges associated with valuation risk, and argues for an expanded definition of valuation risk in order to adequately address market volatility and opacity — the source of much recent business angst. The study also discusses industry responses to these challenges.