Mr. Levitt, currently a senior advisor to The Carlyle Group, joins the company as a non-executive director.

Mr. Levitt has been asked to help RiskMetrics Group advance its risk suitability monitoring service which assures that advisors match investors' risk tolerance levels with appropriate investment products.

In announcing the election of Mr. Levitt, Ethan Berman, RiskMetrics Group CEO said: "Having earned a reputation as America's foremost investor advocate as well as promoting improved financial reporting, Mr. Levitt shares our view that transparency is the key to liquid and efficient markets."

Mr. Levitt served as the 25th and longest serving Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (1993-2001). During his tenure he fought for the independence of auditors, improved financial reporting and leveling the information playing field through Regulation Fair Disclosure.

Commenting on his association with RiskMetrics Group, Mr. Levitt said, "Providing investors with timely, accurate and transparent information about the risks of their assets is crucial to the financial services industry. I look forward to assisting financial advisors in their efforts to provide suitable and comprehensible investment advice."

Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Levitt owned Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill. From 1989 to 1993 he served as Chairman of the NYC Economic Development Corporation and from 1978 to 1989 was Chairman of the American Stock Exchange. Prior to that Levitt spent 16 years on Wall Street where he headed Shearson Hayden Stone, the predecessor to Smith Barney. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College in 1952 and served two years in the USAF.