Joseph Nelesen
Director, iShares Product Research & Development
BlackRock

Mr. Nelesen, Ph.D., is a member of the Product Management team within iShares U.S. Product. He is responsible for new product research and for delivering equity product expertise to global iShares clients and partners.

Dr. Nelesen's service with the firm dates back to 2008, including his years with Barclay's Global Investors (BGI), which merged with BlackRock in 2009. At BGI, he served primarily with the Product Research & Development arm of iShares. Prior to joining BGI, Dr. Nelesen worked in the Investment Banking Divisions of Citigroup and Bear, Stearns & Co. in New York and Chicago. He provided M&A and corporate finance advisory to clients across sectors including telecommunications & technology, healthcare, metals & mining and financial services. He was previously a strategy consultant serving U.S. and international firms in the telecommunications sector.

Dr. Nelesen received his B.A. at University of California San Diego, and later his M.A. and Ph.D. at Northwestern University (focused on Telecommunication Science, Economics and Policy) and his M.B.A. in Finance at University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler Business School).