Balyasny Asset Management (BAM) is ramping up its Asia macro trading presence, adding four new team members under Portfolio Manager Ron Choy, who joined the firm earlier this year with a compensation package reportedly worth up to $30m, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The hires include Shumpei Kobayashi and Romain Vincent, both former colleagues of Choy at BlueCrest Capital Management in Singapore. Kobayashi joins as an Associate Portfolio Manager, while Vincent becomes a Senior Analyst. In addition, Tokyo-based Ryota Kawai, formerly of PIMCO, and Paul Schmidt, a former UBS short-term rates trader, have been appointed as Associate Portfolio Managers.
The move marks a strategic expansion for the $28bn multi-strategy hedge fund, which is broadening its macro footprint in Asia — a region where it has traditionally focused more on equity trading. The buildout comes amid rising opportunities across rates, FX, and macro trades, driven by geopolitical shifts, inflation dynamics, and monetary policy transitions.
Choy, a veteran yen rates specialist, previously spent eight years as a Senior Portfolio Manager at BlueCrest and began his career at Credit Suisse Tokyo. His deep expertise in Japan’s fixed income markets positions BAM to capitalise on the renewed volatility and yield curve shifts in the region.
