According to Eurekahedge: As of July 2017 year-to-date, Asian funds have recorded a growth in AUM of US$10.3 billion, with US$6.6 billion accounted for by performance-based gains while the remainder, roughly US$3.6 billion has come through net investor allocations. Asia ex-Japan managers are up 12.57% for the year – leading the table among strategic mandates with underlying Greater China and Indian managers up 18.43% and 19.31% year-to-date respectively. Japan focused funds are up 5.71% over the same period.

Kevin Tham

Värde Partners, the distressed debt and buyout-focused fund manager, has hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Kevin Tham for a role in Singapore. Tham was most recently an MD in Merrill’s global and special situations group. Earlier in his career he was at ABN AMRO and Peregrine.

According to Eurekahedge: as of May 2017 year-to-date, Asian funds have recorded a growth in AUM of US$6.6 billion, with US$5.1 billion accounted for by performance-based gains while the remainder, roughly US$1.5 billion, has come through net investor allocations. Asia ex-Japan managers are up 7.91% for the year with underlying Greater China and Indian managers up 10.80% and 15.35% respectively. Japan focused funds are up 3.13% over the same period.

Yuan Wang

Yuan Wang has become a partner in charge of investor relations at Hong Kong-based Dantai Capital, a value-focused, research-intensive equity long/short fund focused on Greater China and the US. Wang was most recently a portfolio manager at family office Boya Asset Management and before that a PM at China Merchants Asset Management. Earlier in her career she had stints at JP Morgan, Income Partners Asset Management, Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers.

According to Eurekahedge, at the end of April, year-to-date Asia ex-Japan managers were up 7.12% with underlying Greater China and Indian managers up 8.73% and 13.89% respectively. Japan focused funds were up 2.04%.

Is the Asian hedge fund industry changing?

One interesting and seemingly growing trend in the Asian hedge fund industry is the flow of experienced professionals moving from investment roles into marketing, sales and investor relations roles. Frontline people who really understand investment strategies is probably a good idea, but sales and marketing is a profession in itself requiring a different skill set. Those making the switch need to quickly master their new roles or it will end in tears and no AUM growth. Is this a mere fad or a new direction for the industry?

New York-headquartered hedge fund Owl Creek Asset Management is shutting down its Asian funds as a result of portfolio manager Chris Wang having left the firm.

Adrian Worth

Mercer in Hong Kong has recruited Adrian Worth for a manager research consultant role. Worth was most recently an investment analyst at private equity firm Cassia Investments. Before relocating to Hong Kong in 2015, he was an investment director and hedge fund manager researcher at Cambridge Associates and a hedge fund performance analyst at Man Group in London.

Christine Ravioli

Christine Ravioli has joined Synergy Fund Management in Hong Kong as a co-portfolio manager and senior analyst for global strategies. She has spent the bulk of her career with Pictet in Geneva as a senior hedge fund analyst and portfolio manager.

Asuka Kaminaka has joined CQS in Hong Kong as a Japan client relations manager. Most recently Kaminaka was a marketing director at LIM Advisors. Prior to LIM she was working in business development at Harvest Global Investments. Earlier in her career she had stints at Asian Development Bank in the Philippines and at Deutsche in Tokyo and Singapore.