100 Women in Hedge Funds announced the appointment of Sonia Gardner to its Association Board as of June 2010, further augmenting the organization’s growing worldwide network and expanding the breadth of its Board.

Ms. Gardner is the President, Managing Partner, and the Co-Founder of Avenue Capital Group, a pioneer global asset manager in the distressed debt market. Since its founding in 1995, Avenue Capital Group has grown to 12 offices worldwide and manages more than $18 billion in assets. With over 21 years of experience, Ms. Gardner is the partner in charge of managing the firm. She is also the co-founder of Amroc, where she was Senior Portfolio Manager. Prior to operating Amroc as an independent entity, Ms. Gardner was a Senior Managing Director and General Counsel of Amroc Investments, L.P., the predecessor firm associated with the Robert Bass Group, Inc.

Anne Popkin, Chair of the Board of 100 Women in Hedge Funds, said, “Sonia is one of the industry’s leaders and we are very excited to add her to our Board. As the Co-Founder of a leading asset manager and an active participant in industry issues, Sonia brings numerous valuable insights and experiences that will help us continue to innovate and advance in order to serve the global alternatives industry.”

Ms. Gardner was the recipient of the 100 Women in Hedge Funds’ 2008 Industry Leadership Award, which recognizes individuals whose professional dedication, passion, and ethics set a standard of excellence for the industry. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Managed Funds Association. Ms. Gardner is also actively involved in Avenue’s representation as a member of the Asset Managers’ Committee of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, which has worked to develop “best practices” for the alternative asset management industry.

Ms. Gardner said, “I look forward to working with the Board. As a volunteer and contributor to 100 Women in Hedge Funds over the past several years, I have seen the organization evolve to become an extensive global volunteer network of thousands of professionals across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Now more than ever, we have the opportunity to make a positive impact in the industry and community, and I look forward to being part of that collaboration.”

Ms. Gardner received a B.A. with Honors in Philosophy from Clark University and a J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law.