The
Hedge Fund Association, an industry body, has elected public relations executive Mitch Ackles as president.

Ackles is the founder of Hedge Fund PR and also serves as a spokesperson for Hedge Funds Care, a charitable organization working for the prevention and treatment of child abuse through fund raising. He has served on the board of directors for the HFA and as a spokesperson for the organization for the last three years.

He replaces David Friedland, who has been appointed as chairman.

Meanwhile, Ron Geffner, a partner at Sadis & Goldberg and an expert in the regulatory field for hedge funds, has been elected for a second term as vice president.

"As hedge funds become more mainstream, the hedge fund industry has a greater responsibility to help everyone understand its contributions to the financial markets," said Ackles.

"The hedge fund industry faces such challenges as providing more transparency, meeting new operational standards and complying with new regulations. The HFA will help the industry navigate these issues," said Geffner.