GLG Partners, the investment manager division of Man Group, has made a series of appointments in Asia to form a long-short equities team focused on fundamental stock picking.

Based in Hong Kong, the team will be co-managed by David Mercurio, head of Asia equity and co-head of global equity strategies, and Ben Freischmidt, risk specialist.

Mercurio joined GLG in September last year from the Government of Singapore Investment Corp, while Freischmidt joined in March 2012 from Singapore-based LionRock Capital, which he co-founded and helped run as chief operating officer. 

Under Mercurio and Freischmidt will be four sector specialists: David Walsh, specialising in industrials, Nick Vidale in financials and Sahil Khanna in consumer and TMT. Carl Esprey, the team’s materials specialist, will be based in London.
 
Pierre Lagrange (pictured), co-founder of GLG and chairman of Man Asia, says: “When we started the European long short strategy 11 years ago, the environment in Europe looked very like it does in Asia today, with strong longs and shorts likely to emerge. The new team will seek to capture the returns available from dispersion, based on the same processes we have employed successfully in Europe.”
 
Mercurio says: “Since I joined GLG last year, I have been focused on getting the right team in place to drive GLG’s investment management capability in the region. I’m pleased to finally be able to unveil a team of stock picking experts for the Asian region. Whilst stock selection is key to generate investment returns in Asia, we will also be equally focused on capital protection through active risk management led by Ben Freischmidt, an experienced risk specialist. We look forward to delivering absolute returns for investors through a targeted approach of alpha generation for the Asian region.”