The home of the hedge fund industry in the Asia-Pacific region since 2005

Interview: Noah’s William Ma on lessons from 2020, the outlook for 2021 and the future of HK

 

One of the best-known persons in Asia’s alternative investment industry, William Ma currently serves as Chief Investment Officer of both Noah Holdings and its asset management arm Gopher. Prior to joining Noah in 2015, William built a solid reputation through his roles at Penjing Asset Management, Vision Investment Management, Gottex Fund Management and HT Capital Management. HFC’s Stefan Nilsson had a chat with William about 2020, 2021 and the future of Hong Kong as a financial centre. Read the interview here.

 

 

 

 

Interview: Martin O’Regan of Singapore Fund Directors Association

Martin O’Regan of Solas Fiduciary Services was recently announced as the inaugural Chairman of the newly established Singapore Fund Directors Association (SFDA). HFC’s Stefan Nilsson decided to check in with Martin to find out more about SFDA. Read the interview here.

 

 

Fund manager interview: Nelson Ilham, Artheon Global Credit Opportunities Fund

 

 

HFC’s Stefan Nilsson checks in with Nelson Ilham, Principal Fund Manager of the Artheon Global Credit Opportunities Fund, in Singapore for a chat about his business, investment strategy and the questions investors need to ask themselves as 2021 arrives. Read the interview here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fund manager interview: Cedric Rimaud on the greening of finance

 

The greening of the financial sector has got hedge funds and other alternative investment managers and investors taking a closer interest in this fast-developing sector. HFC’s Stefan Nilsson decided to find out more and had a chat with green finance specialist and fund manager Cedric Rimaud in Singapore. Read the interview here.

 

 

Eugene Wong of Saxo Markets: Hedge funds of the future: You snooze, you lose

Technology will continue to disrupt hedge funds from front to back office, how should industry players adapt and partner up in order not to be left behind? 2020 has been a year of ups and downs for many people. For hedge funds large and small, disruptions have come in many shapes and forms. From a global pandemic to more industry and market-specific operational disruptions that left fund managers out in the cold, players in the space have had to contend with a range of unprecedented challenges. Yet, all is not lost. If managed well, fund managers can benefit from turning the current challenges into opportunities to thrive in 2021. Read the full article here.

 

The Hedge Funds Club Good Life Interviews – Part 49: Christina Qi, Domeyard Fund

 

In part 49 of the Hedge Funds Club’s popular people-focused Good Life series of interviews, HFC boss Stefan Nilsson checks in with Christina Qi, Founding Partner of Domeyard and CEO of Databento, for a chat about looking like a decent human being for work, the value of time, sucking at hiking and skiing, preferring champions over mentors, celebrating wins with video games and ice cream, being paid in Egyptian papyrus and much more. Read the interview here!

 

Fund manager interview: Henrik Andersson, CIO, Apollo Capital 

 

 

HFC boss Stefan Nilsson interviews fellow Swede Henrik Andersson, Chief Investment Officer and co-founder of Apollo Capital in Melbourne. One of Australia’s first crypto fund managers, Henrik talks about who he is, how he ended up managing a crypto strategy and what some of the obstacles and opportunities are. Read the full interview here.

Interview: David Gibson of Astris Advisory Japan on the demand for independent research

 

HFC’s Stefan Nilsson checked in with David “Gibbo” Gibson, Chief Investment Advisor at Astris Advisory Japan about the increased interest and demand for independent research. Gibbo has a wealth of experience in the equity business. Prior to Astris Advisory, Gibbo worked at Macquarie Capital Securities Japan where he held a number of roles over 18 years in both the US and Japan. His last role was Head of Research in Tokyo where he managed a team of 20 people, and he combined that with covering game software, media and Internet stocks. He has fund management expertise at HSBC Asset Management and National Mutual Funds Management, both in Australia, before joining Macquarie in 2000. Read the interview here!

 

 

 

Mark Burchell of Linear Investments: Certainty for brokers in uncertain times

 

This year has been a lesson to us all in learning to expect the unexpected. While engaging with clients in a different way has become part of our daily life at Linear, it hasn’t affected the services and solutions that we offer our clients or in fact the quality of our offering. We have worked with our clients to make sure that their experience with our team is exactly as they have come to expect: professional, efficient and effective. Read the full article here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natallia Hunik of Advanced Markets: FX Hedge Fund Startup Guide 2020

 

 

As the world is facing global pandemic fears, investors around the world are still scrambling to figure out how to re-distribute their portfolios to minimize losses and diversify their investments. Read the full guide here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video recording: HFC x OSL webinar on digital assets

 

On Thursday 24th September, Terrasias Capital co-CIO and HFC founder Stefan Nilsson hosted a webinar for the Hedge Funds Club’s members together with OSL’s Matt Long and Ryan Miller and Apollo Capital’s Henrik Andersson. The discussion covered a lot of ground, including opportunities, risks, myths, operations, capital raising and much more. A big thank you to all participants and to the webinar sponsor OSL, Asia’s leading digital asset platform. Now you can watch a recording of the session via the Youtube link above.

 

The Hedge Funds Club Good Life Interviews – revealing and personal chats with the people behind the hedge fund industry

 

Read the latest interviews in our popular and people-focused The Hedge Funds Club Good Life Interviews series – including revealing and very personal chats with Bryan Goh, Michael Armitage, Sergei Diakov, Harry Horwitz-Rourke and Chris White. You’ll find all the interviews here.

 

Sign up for the brand-new Hedge Funds Club APAC Newsletter!

Clap your hands say yeah because now there is a brand-new and carefully curated bulletin about and for the hedge fund industry in the Asia-Pacific region. If you are a hedge fund industry professional, sign up for your free subscription to our new twice-a-month newsletter via this link.

 

 

The Hedge Funds Club Good Life Interviews – Part 37: James Alexander of Invast Global

 

Our popular series of Hedge Funds Club Good Life Interviews continues with HFC boss Stefan Nilsson checking in on James Alexander, Chief Commercial Officer of Invast Global in Sydney for a chat about escapism, Lego and getting dressed for work. Read the interview here.

 

 

 

Joint HFC and International SOS webinar a success

 

On Tuesday 23rd June, HFC members from across the APAC region participated in the Hedge Funds Club’s first-ever webinar. Chaired by HFC boss Stefan Nilsson, the webinar discussion focused on how asset managers can protect their firms and people in these turbulent times with civil unrest in Hong Kong and a global pandemic and featured contributions from Felix Luke (Head of Business Continuity, Asia Pacific, Bank of New York Mellon), Dr Ahmed Fahmy (Regional Medical Director, International SOS) and Jaeeun Lee (Security Manager, International SOS). Thank you to all who contributed to and participated in the successful webinar. You’ll find a link to a recording of the webinar here.

 

 

Case study: Luminex builds more efficient and intuitive trading experience with OpenFin

Luminex’s overall goal was to create a more efficient and intuitive trading experience for its end users while avoiding the logistical challenges and delays that came with bringing a solution from developer to trader desktop. The firm began its work with OpenFin to address two primary challenges: Navigating outdated deployment models and creating a modern user experience. Read and learn from the case study here.

 

Stay connected and relevant as the new normal creates new opportunities

 

The new normal keeps being shaped and reshaped by the ever-evolving situation across the globe. Health issues are at the forefront of course, although the related economic impact is also a major concern. But with sudden changes and hardship come new opportunities. The role of hedge funds in shorting securities and markets will always be questioned by some and often misunderstood. But it is in times like these with very volatile markets that the best hedge funds get to shine and show what they are made of. Our in-person live Hedge Funds Club events are in the short-term postponed, but soon enough we will be back hosting Asia-Pac’s best networking events for hedge funds, asset managers and investors. Until then, we will remain very active online, not least via our social media channels. Thus, please actively participate in posting interesting and relevant stories and updates. As many of you are stuck at home or in your office, now is a good time to share information, comment on posts and debate important issues online.

 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/394138

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hedgefundsclub

 

We have also recently set-up location-specific LinkedIn groups.

Tokyo: www.linkedin.com/groups/10486386

Singapore: www.linkedin.com/groups/10490421

Hong Kong: www.linkedin.com/groups/10491369

Australia: www.linkedin.com/groups/10475196

 

Stay safe and stay connected.

 

Stefan Nilsson, Founder, Hedge Funds Club

 

 

 

The Good Life Interviews

In a new series of interviews conducted by Hedge Funds Club boss Stefan Nilsson, we are aiming to get under the skin of interesting people related to the hedge fund industry. The interviews focus on the people and the good life. Read our chats about food, drinks, music, books, museums, happiness and much more here: Interviews

 

 

Case study: Barclays revamps BARX platform using OpenFin

Learn how Barclays leveraged OpenFin to build the analytics application that can be built once and deployed anywhere, including directly into trading systems to be used internally and by their clients. Read and learn from the case study here.

Interview: Eric Bernstein, President, Broadridge Asset Management Solutions

 

“Broadridge has developed a strong presence in Asia and our business is continuing to expand. What differentiates our offering for hedge funds and asset managers more broadly is the strength of our services for clients across three areas – people, processes and products,” says Broadridge’s Eric Bernstein to HFC’s Stefan Nilsson in an interview about its asset management solutions. Read the interview here.

 

 

 

 

 

Hedge Funds Club spring events in Singapore and Hong Kong postponed

The Hedge Funds Club’s spring events in Singapore and Hong Kong have been postponed until it becomes viable to hold events again. We will continue to monitor the situation with the coronavirus outbreak. Hopefully, the situation will soon become clearer and improve. We hope that we at that stage will be able to announce new event dates. Thank you for your understanding and we hope to see you all again very soon.

 

Interview: Shiv Sehgal of Edelweiss

 

 

 

“India among the best long-term prospects,” says Shiv Sehgal, President and Co-Head, Institutional Clients Group at Edelweiss in an interview with HFC’s Stefan Nilsson. Read the full interview here.

 

The Hedge Funds Club successfully hosted its 15th annual Tokyo year-end evening reception in Roppongi

 

On 2nd December, the Hedge Funds Club hosted its 15th annual year-end evening reception at the Roppongi Hills Club in Tokyo with HSH Prince Andreas von und zu Liechtenstein as a guest of honour. A big crowd of hedge funds, asset managers and investors gathered for old-school, low-tech networking at the by-invitation-only event which was generously sponsored by Ogier, Eurex, LightStream Research, Circle Partners, TMX Group, IG, Advanced Markets, Edelweiss Asset Services, FactSet, Cryptoloc Technology, Mainstream Fund Services and Pace University. The evening also featured a terrific raffle of grand prizes from IG and TMX Group as well as wine from the Princely Liechtenstein family and a stay at Nozawa Onsen. What a night!

Tokyo Hedge Funds Club Dialogue Luncheon: a thought-provoking discussion with some of the leading minds in investments

On 3rd December, TMX Group sponsored a great Tokyo Hedge Funds Club Dialogue Luncheon for a select group of CIOs, PMs and other senior investment professionals at the Tokyo American Club. The thought-provoking lunch discussion covered a wide range of topics, including Canadian equities, ETFs, ESG, risk management, what drives Japanese pension fund allocations, liquid vs. illiquid strategies, artificial intelligence, the future of Hong Kong and much more. It was a room full of great minds from the investment world sharing ideas and views in a closed-door, off-the-record setting.

 

Interview: Jamie Wilson of Cryptoloc Technology

 

Australian businessman Jamie Wilson had a highly successful accounting practice specialising in HNWIs before he established Cryptoloc Technology. Cryptoloc provides cryptographic technology to ensure users have control over the information they store and transmit. In connection with Cryptoloc’s participation as a sponsor of the recent Hedge Funds Club year-end event in Tokyo, HFC’s Stefan Nilsson had a chat with Jamie. Read the interview here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview: Rugby legend and prime broker Rod Kafer sums up the Rugby World Cup in Japan

The 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan is over. Rod Kafer, who won the 1999 Rugby World Cup with Australia and then stayed involved with rugby as a coach and TV commentator, is now working with Hedge Funds Club sponsor Invast Global’s prime brokerage team in Sydney. Having attended the Sydney Hedge Funds Club event in September, Kafer then travelled to Japan to cover the World Cup for Fox Sports. HFC’s Stefan Nilsson met up with Rod Kafer in Tokyo during the World Cup and following the final got Kafer to sum up his thoughts about the tournament. Read the interview here.

 

 

Another successful Hedge Funds Club evening at the China Club in Hong Kong

On Thursday 7th November, the Hedge Funds Club hosted yet another great by-invitation-only evening reception for hedge funds, asset managers and investors at the retro-chic China Club. The fully booked event was generously sponsored by Ogier, Spark Plus, Solas Fiduciary Services, OP Investment Management, Circle Partners, Invast Global, Saxo Capital Markets, Maybank Kim Eng Securities, Eze Castle Integration, Matsco Solutions, Broadridge and TMX Group. Thank you to all Hongkongers who came out for what turned out to be an exquisite evening of old-school, low-tech networking over drinks.

 

 

The Hedge Funds Club made a triumphant move into the Australian market with inaugural Sydney event

On 10th September, the Hedge Funds Club hosted its first-ever Australian event together with our sponsors Ogier, Invast Global, Eurex, Solas Fiduciary Services, IG, CMC Institutional, Linedata and Spark Plus. Prominent guests at the packed evening reception at the Cruise Bar in Sydney Harbour included local hedge funds, family offices and superannuation funds, but also former Australian Wallabies rugby star Rod Kafer (now part of the prime brokerage team at Invast Global) who was happy to chat with fellow guests about both rugby and investments.

 

 

Singapore’s finest fund managers and smartest investors gathered to network

 

On 3rd September, Singapore’s finest fund managers and smartest investors gather at the elegant Tower Club at Raffles Place. The evening reception was sponsored by Ogier, Spark Plus, Saxo Capital Markets, Eurex, First Degree Global Asset Management, Circle Partners, TMX Group, SS&C Advent, IG and FactSet. What a great evening!

 

 

Interview: Pauline Chrystal – portfolio manager and pastry chef

 

 

In Australia, HFC’s Stefan Nilsson stumbled upon a portfolio manager who is also a pastry chef. Stefan couldn’t resist having a chat with Pauline Chrystal, portfolio manager at Kapstream Capital in Sydney, about her somewhat unusual parallel career in investment management and French pastry. Read the interview here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview: Gavin White, CEO, Invast Global / “We are committed to contributing to the growth of the hedge fund industry”

HFC’s Stefan Nilsson decided to have a chat with Invast Global’s CEO Gavin White about Invast’s expanding multi-asset prime brokerage business. Read the full interview here.

 

Interview: Roeland Pot, Managing Director, Flow Traders Hong Kong

 

The Hedge Funds Club had a chat with Roeland Pot, Managing Director of Flow Traders in Hong Kong about the derivatives markets, changing regulations and new business opportunities. In partnership with Eurex. Read the interview here.

 

 

Hong Kong Hedge Funds Club’s return to the China Club was a major hit

 

On Thursday 11th April 2019, HFC boss Stefan Nilsson hosted an evening of business and pleasure for hedge funds, asset managers and investors at the chic China Club in Hong Kong’s Central. The old-school networking evening – filled with smiles, handshakes and stories from the volatile markets – was sponsored by Ogier, Spark Plus, OP Investment Management, Eze Castle Integration, Invast Global, Saxo Capital Markets, Maybank Kim Eng Securities, Eurex and Meetyl. Thank you to the event sponsors and everyone who showed up!

 

 

Interview: Gerben Oldekamp of Circle Partners – a new arrival in Asia’s fund admin industry

 

HFC’s Stefan Nilsson caught up with Gerben Oldekamp of Circle Partners in Singapore to discuss the group’s fund administration offering and its growing client base in Asia. Read the interview here.

 

Singapore Hedge Funds Club rocked the Tower Club

On Tuesday 26th March, the Hedge Funds Club hosted an exquisite by-invitation-only evening reception for hedge funds, asset managers and investors at the Tower Club in Singapore. The evening was generously sponsored by Ogier, Spark Plus, Solas Fiduciary Services, Circle Partners, S&P Global Market Intelligence, Invast Global, Saxo Capital Markets and KGI Securities. Several hundred of Singapore’s finest fund managers and smartest investors came to network and catch up with each other. The next Singapore event will take place on 3rd September.

Interview: Lessons from an emerging manager

 

Himali Kothari, Founder of Aquamarine Value, is having a conversation with Anand Ramachandran, Partner and Fund Manager from River Valley Asset Management in Singapore. Read the full fund manager interview here.

 

 

Interview: To outsource or not outsource trading for emerging managers

 

Jeff LeVeen, Managing Director and Head of Outsourced Trading at JonesTrading talks with Himali Kothari, Founder of Aquamarine Value. Read the full interview here.

 

 

Interview: OPIM’s Alvin Fan talks about strategic investment in FundSeeder

 

 

OP Investment Management recently invested in an equity stake in the company FundSeeder. HFC’s Stefan Nilsson decided to check in with OPIM’s CEO Alvin Fan to find out what this is all about. Read the full interview here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2 and 20 model is not dead: It’s not the fees, it’s the fund managers

Read HFC boss Stefan Nilsson’s thoughts on the never-ending hedge fund fee debate on LinkedIn.      

Interview: Mohammed Ali-Reda of Darkhorse Capital

Three years ago, Mohammed Ali-Reda founded Darkhorse Capital in Hong Kong to manage his own bottom-up emerging Asia and Middle East and North Africa equity long/short strategy. HFC’s Stefan Nilsson decided to have a chat with him about this journey so far. Read the interview here.                      

 

 

 

 

 

New book: Successfully Launching and Managing a Hedge Fund in Asia

HFC boss Stefan Nilsson is a contributing author to a new book by Henri Arslanian called “Entrepreneurship in Finance: Successfully Launching and Managing a Hedge Fund in Asia” (out now, published by Palgrave Macmillan). This is a perfect read for anyone starting out in the hedge fund industry. All author proceeds will be donated to the Help for Children charity. Available on Amazon: goo.gl/fL33gt