James S. Byrd

JAMES S. BYRD is Executive Vice President of Fortis Advisers, Inc. and
leads the team of professionals who manage the Fortis Global Growth and
Fortis International Funds. Prior to joining the firm, he was with
Mercantile Trust, the N.N. Corporation, Heritage Investment Advisers,
Inc. and Templeton Investment Counsel, Inc. of Florida. Mr. Byrd is a
Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the International Society of
Financial Analysts. He earned a BA in Finance from the University of
Illinois and a MBA from the University of Wisconsin.