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NEWS & INFORMATION

Invest Like a Fund Manager
Russell Cleveland, Closed-End Fund Director, Shares Secrets of CEO Investing


Russell Cleveland, the author of Finding Midas, explains his investment strategies in a video that can be accessed by clicking on his picture.

Dallas, Texas, September 25, 2007 (Business Wire) As a Chartered Financial Analyst with over 35 years of experience specializing in small cap companies, Russell Cleveland is uniquely qualified to author a book on investing. His new book, Finding Midas: Investing in Entrepreneurial CEOs with the Golden Touch, should be "required reading for every broker and advisor in the business," according to Don Hodges, Chairman of the Hodges Fund.

No matter the experience level, anybody with an interest in investing is sure to get much out of this book. Mr. Cleveland has developed a revolutionary method of analyzing companies - look at the CEO. He contends that the companies with the strongest and most involved leaders are the ones that will prevail in both good times and bad. He calls these "mega-stocks" that can return tens to hundreds of times your investment.

"The key to mega-stock investing is not focusing on the industry, but rather on the entrepreneurial leadership characteristics of the CEO. . . You might just find the next Wal-Mart, Starbucks, or eBay," according to the author.

How does one determine if the CEO is investment worthy? Cleveland outlines four major criteria that must be met:

·         The CEO and management must have a major stake in the business.

·         There must be a clear vision with above-average growth prospects.

·         The company must be profitable.

·         The valuation must be reasonable.

One of the keys of this investment method is performing due diligence on the management team. Are their goals aligned with those of the shareholders? If they are shareholders themselves, then the answer is yes. Mr. Cleveland makes a distinction between CEOs who are rewarded with options and those who actually use their own dollars to invest in the company - those who have "skin in the game."

Leadership is a key trait exhibited by all successful entrepreneurial CEOs. The ability to get the entire company to buy in can make the difference between success and failure. In the book there are numerous suggestions on how to find strong entrepreneurial CEOs today as well as some red flags to be cautious of. 

The book also identifies common traps that investors fall into, such as buying stocks that are overvalued and having a short-term investment mentality. The author likens these investment tactics as the equivalent of shooting craps in Las Vegas. 

The book concludes with 10 case studies of winning entrepreneurs who have driven their companies and their valuations - to the top. By analyzing the case studies and applying the principles and strategies detailed in the book, investors may have an opportunity to improve the performance of their investment dollar.  

To view a video of Russell Cleveland explaining his CEO investing philosophy, click here.

About the Author:
Russell Cleveland is the principal founder and the majority shareholder of RENN Capital Group, Inc. RENN provides capital to emerging publicly owned companies. Besides serving as President and Director of Renaissance Capital Growth & Income Fund III, Inc. (AMEX: RCG), he is also Director and Manager of Renaissance US Growth and Income Trust PLC, which is traded on the London Exchange, U.S. Portfolio manager of US Special Opportunities Trust PLC (London based) and Premier RENN US Emerging Growth Limited (London based). 

Contact:
Chris Rosgen
Capital Market Relations
949-481-9739

Capital Market Relations (CMR) is a management consulting and investor relations firm. Information in this e-mail communication has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete. The above information is not presented for reliance by any potential investor as to the purchase or sale of any security or the selection of any investment advisor.  Pertinent and more complete information will be furnished upon request. This message is privileged, confidential and is intended for information purposes only. 


"In a capitalist economy, whoever attracts the most capital wins."
-Thomas Edison


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On various occasions the staff at Renn Capital will develop a profile based upon its knowledge (gained either directly or indirectly) of an entrepreneurial CEO's success story.

Interviews

    David Oden

    Attorney, David H. Oden, is a partner with Haynes and Boone, LLP and counsel to RENN Capital Group, Inc. (investment adviser), Renaissance Capital Growth & Income Fund III, Inc. (one of the funds managed by RENN) and Integrated Security Systems, Inc. (one of our portfolio companies), among others. He works in the areas of venture capital, corporate securities, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters. David is focused on providing counsel to emerging businesses. In this interview we mainly focused upon the characteristics that David views as the most important characteristics of a CEO and secondly his past experiences in the field of CEO investing. Click here for the full interview