Unigestion, the boutique asset manager that focuses on guiding its clients with risk-managed investment solutions, has appointed four new members to the Institutional Clients team to boost its specialist alternatives sales force.
David Chesner has been appointed as a director on the Institutional Clients Alternatives team, and will lead the sales strategy for Unigestion’s alternative investment solutions. David has a 15 year history working in private equity and hedge fund investing and joins from the global alternative asset manager, Duet Group, where he was responsible for client relationships and business development across Europe and Asia. David reports into Tom Leavitt, Managing Director and Head of Institutional Sales.
Carlos Stelin also joins the Alternatives team as a director from the Duet Group’s Investor Relations team, where he managed relationships with European institutional clients. Carlos brings with him nine years of industry experience, having started his career in 2007 with Credit Suisse.
Leila Haddioui has been appointed as senior vice president in the team. Leila started her career in 2009 at Newedge, followed by Andurand Capital, a commodity hedge fund. She joins from Abbeville Partners, where she had responsibility for business development.
The fourth recruit to the new team is Janice Cheung, taking on the role of sales assistant. Janice joins Unigestion from AXA Investment Managers, where she was part of the UK wholesale sales team.
The new team will join Caroline Bradshaw, director, who has been with the institutional sales team since 2014.
Together, the new team will build on the successes to date of the Unigestion sales force, which has seen an additional USD1 billion in alternatives strategies entrusted to it by clients in the first quarter of this year.
Tom Leavitt (pictured), Head of Institutional Clients at Unigestion, says: "The low and negative interest rates present real challenges for our investors, meaning an increased need for our hedge fund, liquid alternatives and private equity solutions. We have brought in the new team to increase the specialist knowledge in these areas and enable more strategic discussions with pension funds, insurance companies and family offices.”
David Chesner, Director of the Institutional Clients Alternatives team, adds: “Unigestion’s unique approach to risk-managed investing and high level of client driven investment solutions makes for an extremely attractive proposition for institutional clients within the alternative landscape. I am truly excited to build on Unigestion’s impeccable reputation and already strong footprint in the alternatives space. This is clearly a strategically exciting time for the company and I look forward to working with the whole team as we develop innovative alternative strategies for both new and existing clients.”
