About us
Hedge Funds Club Advisory Board
Frank Packard
Frank Packard is Head of North Asia for the Alternative Investment Group at HSBC Securities
(Japan) Limited. He has regional business development responsibility for placing hedge
fund of funds and private equity funds with Japanese and Korean institutional investors, as
well as private banking clients in Japan. Frank’s career includes positions at Drexel Burnham
Lambert, Bankers Trust and Bank of America, whose Asia Pacific project finance practice he
developed and managed during the 1990s. His professional expertise is in project finance
and alternative assets. For over 20 years he has been based either in Tokyo or in Hong Kong
and has concluded transactions involving almost every country across Asia-Pacific. Prior to
joining HSBC, Frank was one of the founders of FinTech Global Securities, a Japanese
securities broker focused on cross-border investment banking and capital raising for
alternative investments.
Masako Watanabe
Miss Watanabe is Managing Director of Masako Watanabe & Associates as well as CIO of
the Hinode Fund and Head of its investment committee. With over 27 years’ experience in the
global financial industry Tokyo-born Miss Watanabe has worked in Tokyo, London and Hong
Kong for firms including Nomura, Baring Brothers, and Jardine Fleming Private Investments
before founding her own fund management business in Hong Kong in 1996.
Hitoshi Kudo
Hitoshi Kudo is Head of Asset Management Products, focusing on alternative investments, at
RBS Securities Japan. Prior to joining RBS in 2007, he was Deputy Head of AIG Japan
Securities, AIG Global Investment Group and before that he was Head of Alternatives of
Nomura BlackRock Asset Management. His long career in this industry includes senior
positions such as Head of Alternative Investments of Nikko Asset Management, Vice
President of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Chief Fund Manager of Alternative
Investments of Sakura Investment Management and Chief Investment Officer of Sakura
Dellsher Inc, Chicago. Mr. Kudo earned a BA from Waseda University, Tokyo and an MA in
Government and Politics from University of Maryland, College Park.
Toshio Aoki
Toshio Aoki is the CEO and Portfolio Manager of Stat Arb. Prior to setting up the Stat Arb
Diversified Fund in 2005, Mr. Toshio Aoki worked in various analyst and investment advisor
positions for Yamaichi Securities, Tokai International Securities and Global Cyber Investment
Corporation. He wrote a daily report for about 200 institutional investors and advised more
than 15 of those into trading programs in Japanese Government Bonds futures, Nikkei 225
futures and Japanese Government Bonds.
Stephen Huggins
Stephen Huggins is President and co-founder of TSI International Group, which is a member
of the TSI Group of Companies, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. TSI Group is a diversified
group of companies engaged in a variety of real estate businesses including alternative real
estate and land banking investments. Mr. Huggins commenced his international career by
working for Nordic Foods as its representative in Japan. In 1993, Mr. Huggins accepted a
position with Marshall's, a financial brokerage firm, and subsequently moved to Marshall's
Hong Kong office. While in Hong Kong, Mr. Huggins first became associated with alternative
investments in real estate. In the spring of 1999, Mr. Huggins returned to Tokyo to
successfully
introduce the innovative concept to the Japanese market. Mr. Huggins was born in London,
England and immigrated to Canada in 1975. He received his Bachelor's Degree in
Economics from the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada.
Angus McKinnon
Angus is a Senior Partner and Fund Manager of Trident Pacific. He has 20 years’ business
experience in Asia and eight years’ investment experience in Japan. That investment
experience includes work as the Head of Research for Prospect Asset Management where
Angus assisted fund growth from US$60m to US$1.3 billion. Angus was instrumental in the
set up of the hedge fund and of Prospect’s associated Japanese REIT. While maintaining
investment advice for Prospect, Angus was the founder president of the REIT advisory
company, and oversaw the hiring of the team and the structural set up. The J-REIT was listed
in July 2005. Prior to entering the investment field, Angus worked in oil and gas exploration
throughout Asia as a field manager. During this period, which included extensive work in
China and Taiwan, Angus managed large exploration teams, ships, logistics, licensing, tax,
and so on. Angus obtained his CFA charter in 2000. He holds an MBA from the University of
Hawaii, a graduation certificate from Nanjing University, P.R. China, and a BA in Chinese
from Murdoch University, Western Australia. He speaks fluent English, Japanese and
Chinese.
Mitsutomo "Tomo" Watanabe
Tomo joined Strategic Investment KK in 2007. Previously he was Managing Director of
Japanese asset management firm GCI Asset Management. Prior to joining GCI in 2005,
Tomo worked at Asuka Asset Management where he was in charge of investor
relations/marketing and previously he was at Moore Strategic Value Partners Japan. Since
1993, Tomo has worked in the fixed-income area focusing on ABS, loan securitization and
various structured products at Chase Securities Tokyo, Goldman Sachs Hong Kong and New
York, and Merrill Lynch New York. He started his career at Sumitomo Trust and Banking in
Tokyo. He received his BA in
Economics from Keio University, and his MBA from Sloan School of Management, MIT.
Evan Judd
Evan Judd is Deputy General Manager in the Asset Management Division of Shinsei Bank.
He is responsible for fund sourcing and related due diligence, fund structuring, and
investment advisor relationship management, but routinely ignores these duties to
spearhead a number of high profile projects in India. Evan began his career as a credit
analyst for Manufacturers Hanover Trust in Tokyo before moving on to a role as a fixed
income portfolio manager with
Bankers Trust in New York. In 1994, he returned to Asia as President of Lehman Brothers
Global Asset Management where he oversaw the development and expansion of the offshore
fund structuring and advisory businesses. Evan also has extensive experience in sourcing,
structuring, and raising assets for hedge funds and fund of funds in roles with Merrill Lynch
and Morgan Stanley. Evan holds a BA cum laude in Economics from the University of Texas.
He obtained his CFA charter in 1991, which, sadly, has done nothing to help his golf swing.
Evan has lived and worked in Japan for almost 20 years and speaks fluent Japanese.
Andreas von Liechtenstein
Andreas von Liechtenstein is Founder and CEO of SELLBA iNVEST. Born in Sweden and a
member of the Liechtenstein family, von Liechtenstein started his career at Carson Europe
(Carson Group) in London in 1998. He earned his MBA in International Business from
Schiller International University in London and his BBA in Marketing in Heidelberg. von
Liechtenstein is Treasurer for the Scandinavian Association of the Sovereign Military
Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta. He raises money for
charity through his own annual charity golf competition.
Frank Packard
Frank Packard is Head of North Asia for the Alternative Investment Group at HSBC Securities
(Japan) Limited. He has regional business development responsibility for placing hedge
fund of funds and private equity funds with Japanese and Korean institutional investors, as
well as private banking clients in Japan. Frank’s career includes positions at Drexel Burnham
Lambert, Bankers Trust and Bank of America, whose Asia Pacific project finance practice he
developed and managed during the 1990s. His professional expertise is in project finance
and alternative assets. For over 20 years he has been based either in Tokyo or in Hong Kong
and has concluded transactions involving almost every country across Asia-Pacific. Prior to
joining HSBC, Frank was one of the founders of FinTech Global Securities, a Japanese
securities broker focused on cross-border investment banking and capital raising for
alternative investments.
Masako Watanabe
Miss Watanabe is Managing Director of Masako Watanabe & Associates as well as CIO of
the Hinode Fund and Head of its investment committee. With over 27 years’ experience in the
global financial industry Tokyo-born Miss Watanabe has worked in Tokyo, London and Hong
Kong for firms including Nomura, Baring Brothers, and Jardine Fleming Private Investments
before founding her own fund management business in Hong Kong in 1996.
Hitoshi Kudo
Hitoshi Kudo is Head of Asset Management Products, focusing on alternative investments, at
RBS Securities Japan. Prior to joining RBS in 2007, he was Deputy Head of AIG Japan
Securities, AIG Global Investment Group and before that he was Head of Alternatives of
Nomura BlackRock Asset Management. His long career in this industry includes senior
positions such as Head of Alternative Investments of Nikko Asset Management, Vice
President of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Chief Fund Manager of Alternative
Investments of Sakura Investment Management and Chief Investment Officer of Sakura
Dellsher Inc, Chicago. Mr. Kudo earned a BA from Waseda University, Tokyo and an MA in
Government and Politics from University of Maryland, College Park.
Toshio Aoki
Toshio Aoki is the CEO and Portfolio Manager of Stat Arb. Prior to setting up the Stat Arb
Diversified Fund in 2005, Mr. Toshio Aoki worked in various analyst and investment advisor
positions for Yamaichi Securities, Tokai International Securities and Global Cyber Investment
Corporation. He wrote a daily report for about 200 institutional investors and advised more
than 15 of those into trading programs in Japanese Government Bonds futures, Nikkei 225
futures and Japanese Government Bonds.
Stephen Huggins
Stephen Huggins is President and co-founder of TSI International Group, which is a member
of the TSI Group of Companies, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. TSI Group is a diversified
group of companies engaged in a variety of real estate businesses including alternative real
estate and land banking investments. Mr. Huggins commenced his international career by
working for Nordic Foods as its representative in Japan. In 1993, Mr. Huggins accepted a
position with Marshall's, a financial brokerage firm, and subsequently moved to Marshall's
Hong Kong office. While in Hong Kong, Mr. Huggins first became associated with alternative
investments in real estate. In the spring of 1999, Mr. Huggins returned to Tokyo to
successfully
introduce the innovative concept to the Japanese market. Mr. Huggins was born in London,
England and immigrated to Canada in 1975. He received his Bachelor's Degree in
Economics from the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada.
Angus McKinnon
Angus is a Senior Partner and Fund Manager of Trident Pacific. He has 20 years’ business
experience in Asia and eight years’ investment experience in Japan. That investment
experience includes work as the Head of Research for Prospect Asset Management where
Angus assisted fund growth from US$60m to US$1.3 billion. Angus was instrumental in the
set up of the hedge fund and of Prospect’s associated Japanese REIT. While maintaining
investment advice for Prospect, Angus was the founder president of the REIT advisory
company, and oversaw the hiring of the team and the structural set up. The J-REIT was listed
in July 2005. Prior to entering the investment field, Angus worked in oil and gas exploration
throughout Asia as a field manager. During this period, which included extensive work in
China and Taiwan, Angus managed large exploration teams, ships, logistics, licensing, tax,
and so on. Angus obtained his CFA charter in 2000. He holds an MBA from the University of
Hawaii, a graduation certificate from Nanjing University, P.R. China, and a BA in Chinese
from Murdoch University, Western Australia. He speaks fluent English, Japanese and
Chinese.
Mitsutomo "Tomo" Watanabe
Tomo joined Strategic Investment KK in 2007. Previously he was Managing Director of
Japanese asset management firm GCI Asset Management. Prior to joining GCI in 2005,
Tomo worked at Asuka Asset Management where he was in charge of investor
relations/marketing and previously he was at Moore Strategic Value Partners Japan. Since
1993, Tomo has worked in the fixed-income area focusing on ABS, loan securitization and
various structured products at Chase Securities Tokyo, Goldman Sachs Hong Kong and New
York, and Merrill Lynch New York. He started his career at Sumitomo Trust and Banking in
Tokyo. He received his BA in
Economics from Keio University, and his MBA from Sloan School of Management, MIT.
Evan Judd
Evan Judd is Deputy General Manager in the Asset Management Division of Shinsei Bank.
He is responsible for fund sourcing and related due diligence, fund structuring, and
investment advisor relationship management, but routinely ignores these duties to
spearhead a number of high profile projects in India. Evan began his career as a credit
analyst for Manufacturers Hanover Trust in Tokyo before moving on to a role as a fixed
income portfolio manager with
Bankers Trust in New York. In 1994, he returned to Asia as President of Lehman Brothers
Global Asset Management where he oversaw the development and expansion of the offshore
fund structuring and advisory businesses. Evan also has extensive experience in sourcing,
structuring, and raising assets for hedge funds and fund of funds in roles with Merrill Lynch
and Morgan Stanley. Evan holds a BA cum laude in Economics from the University of Texas.
He obtained his CFA charter in 1991, which, sadly, has done nothing to help his golf swing.
Evan has lived and worked in Japan for almost 20 years and speaks fluent Japanese.
Andreas von Liechtenstein
Andreas von Liechtenstein is Founder and CEO of SELLBA iNVEST. Born in Sweden and a
member of the Liechtenstein family, von Liechtenstein started his career at Carson Europe
(Carson Group) in London in 1998. He earned his MBA in International Business from
Schiller International University in London and his BBA in Marketing in Heidelberg. von
Liechtenstein is Treasurer for the Scandinavian Association of the Sovereign Military
Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta. He raises money for
charity through his own annual charity golf competition.
Hedge Funds Club
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About the Hedge Funds Club Founder
Stefan Nilsson
Stefan is the Founder and President of the Hedge Funds Club. He currently heads capital
introduction in Japan at JPMorgan's prime brokerage. He was previously in charge of capital
introduction in Japan and Singapore for Bear Stearns' prime brokerage and prior to that
worked on marketing and sales of the hedge funds of Bear Stearns Asset Management in
Japan. Before joining Bear Stearns he was managing director of a Tokyo-based hedge fund
advisory firm and a board member of a Liechtenstein-based fund management firm. Stefan is
a former member of the executive committee of the Alternative Investment Management
Association (AIMA) Japan and he also served as chairman of its events committee. Prior to
relocating from London to Asia, Stefan was general manager of Hedge Funds World and,
prior to that, a project manager for Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. He has been
involved in organising networking events in Asia, Europe and North America since 1997. He
was educated in Sweden, USA and England and received his MBA from Leicester University
in the UK.
Stefan Nilsson
Stefan is the Founder and President of the Hedge Funds Club. He currently heads capital
introduction in Japan at JPMorgan's prime brokerage. He was previously in charge of capital
introduction in Japan and Singapore for Bear Stearns' prime brokerage and prior to that
worked on marketing and sales of the hedge funds of Bear Stearns Asset Management in
Japan. Before joining Bear Stearns he was managing director of a Tokyo-based hedge fund
advisory firm and a board member of a Liechtenstein-based fund management firm. Stefan is
a former member of the executive committee of the Alternative Investment Management
Association (AIMA) Japan and he also served as chairman of its events committee. Prior to
relocating from London to Asia, Stefan was general manager of Hedge Funds World and,
prior to that, a project manager for Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. He has been
involved in organising networking events in Asia, Europe and North America since 1997. He
was educated in Sweden, USA and England and received his MBA from Leicester University
in the UK.
The Hedge Funds Club is an informal industry network. Our mission is to promote the Asian
hedge fund industry and help it grow by connecting people through networking events in Asia.
The club was founded by Stefan Nilsson in 2005 to make it easier for investors, hedge fund
managers and other senior industry professionals to connect. It has now grown into Asia's
biggest network for the hedge fund industry.
hedge fund industry and help it grow by connecting people through networking events in Asia.
The club was founded by Stefan Nilsson in 2005 to make it easier for investors, hedge fund
managers and other senior industry professionals to connect. It has now grown into Asia's
biggest network for the hedge fund industry.