In a 2002 PR Newswire’s article it was announced that Thomas Weisel, as well as two others, were added to Nasdaq’s Board of Directors. At the time, Weisel served as Chairman and CEO of Thomas Weisel Partners. Joining Weisel were Thomas G. Stemberg, the founder of Staples, and Mary Jo White, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Chair of the Litigation Department at Debevoise and Plimpton.

The article discusses each new board member’s qualifications and history. Weisel was chosen for his banking and finance experience, particularly regarding his work with Thomas Weisel Partners. Since the company’s founding in early 1999, it has generated over $1 billion in revenue, completed more than 300 transactions, and was valued at $140 billion. That number included $2.2 billion in private equity assets.

The feature ends with a list of names and positions of Nasdaq’s other board members and a paragraph explaining Nasdaq’s importance. At the time, Nasdaq represented 4,000 companies and it had outpaced all other U.S. markets in IPO listings. PR Newswire writes that Nasdaq is a key driver of global capital formation and that the businesses it represents are leaders across all areas of business.