(MKDVX)

Antonio (Tony) DeSpirito, Managing Director, is Chief Investment Officer for the US Fundamental Equities business of BlackRock's Portfolio Management Group. Mr. DeSpirito is head of the US Income & Value pillar and the lead Portfolio Manager for the BlackRock Equity Dividend, Large Cap Focus Value, Mid-Cap Value, High Equity Income, Sustainable US Value and Large Cap Concentrated Value portfolios. Prior to joining BlackRock in 2014, Mr. DeSpirito worked at Pzena Investment Management, where he served as Managing Principal, portfolio manager, and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Mr. DeSpirito was responsible for a suite of large-cap value, all-cap value and two hedge fund portfolios. Having managed value equity assets since 1996, Mr. DeSpirito served as a portfolio manager for the John Hancock Classic Value, PACE Large Company Value, and Vanguard Windsor funds. Mr. DeSpirito earned a BS degree in economics with concentration in finance, summa cum laude, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1990, and a JD degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1993.