MEMPHIS, TN, January 31, 2008 – Duncan-Williams, Inc., a Top 100 Brokerage Firm, has hired Demetri Patikas as Executive Vice President and Special Assistant to the President. According to Duncan-Williams, Inc.’s President, Duncan F. Williams, “Mr. Patikas brings extensive Capital Markets and Asset Management experience to our Executive Team and will spearhead our company’s M&A strategy.”

Most recently, Mr. Patikas was the President of Barrier Investments, an investment manager to credit-based hedge funds. At Barrier, his responsibilities included the sales and marketing of the Barrier Funds, and the management of the firm’s operations. Prior to co-founding Barrier, he was a Senior Vice President of FTN Financial, where he worked as an Institutional Sales Representative for more than ten years.

A Nashville, TN native, he is a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, receiving a BA in Religious Studies. Mr. Patikas is actively involved in the Memphis community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Memphis Leadership Foundation and RedZone Ministries. He also serves on the Development Board of the Church Health Center, where he has helped transition the Church Health Center from her first 20 years into her second. He and his wife, Lane, a longtime Memphian, have twin 6-year-old daughters, Carter and Sophie.