Harmonic Capital Partners, the fixed income and currency specialist hedge fund manager, has appointed a research developer and two additional dealers.

The additions take Harmonic's overall headcount to fourteen.
 
Assets under management at Harmonic, which celebrates its second anniversary in May 2005, now total USD 435 million and the firm says the new hires reflect its "continuing commitment to managing long term growth in its institutionally focused business. They reflect the potential of Harmonic's research pipeline and the importance attached to a 24 hour trading capability which allows risk in portfolios to be managed on a real time basis."

The hires are:

• Prashanth Naidu, Research Developer. Prior to joining Harmonic in April 2005, Prashanth worked for Clarke & Bartlett, a hedge fund specialising in systematic trading strategies. He was responsible for quantitative and risk management analysis and took part in the day-to-day management of assets. Prashanth graduated from Cambridge University in 2000 with an MSci degree in Natural Sciences (Physics).

• Sidath Kuru, Dealer. Prior to joining Harmonic in April 2005, Sidath worked for Schroders plc as part of an administration support team acting as the main interface between fund managers and pan-European equity traders. Sidath graduated from London University with a degree in Mathematics with Business Studies.

• Andrew Smith, Dealer. Prior to joining Harmonic in April 2005, Andrew worked for ICAP as a junior Credit Derivatives Broker responsible for executing trades in the Interbank Emerging Market Credit Default Swap Market. Andrew graduated from Reading University with a degree in International Securities, Investment and Banking.