People
ARGYLL Investment Services Limited has promoted senior manager Hazel Kelling to the role of Operations Director as the company looks to further expand its services and client base.
Kelling has been a member of Argyll’s senior management team for six years and is involved with a number of major projects, including the development of the company’s Niche Discretionary Fund Management service, which was recently launched across the Channel Islands, UK and Europe, offering independent financial advisors a cost-efficient investment option in-line with the proposed RDR legislation in the UK.
‘Hazel’s promotion is a reflection of the level of experience she
Mesirow Financial International UK Limited, has hired Sophia Damianou as a vice president and member of its global client relationship team. In this newly established position, Damianou will work closely with new and existing clients of the firm’s affiliated institutional multi-manager hedge fund unit, Mesirow Advanced Strategies, Inc. Her focus will be on building relationships with clients in northern Europe.
Most recently, Damianou served on the capital services team for Credit Suisse in London. Prior to that, she was an investment analyst for Southeastern Europe Management Co. in Athens, Greece. She earned her MBA from Columbia Business School, her M.S.
Netherlands-based hedge fund Saemor Capital has appointed Erwin de Kleijn (pictured) as Investor Relations Manager.
”After Saemor focused on building the track record in its first three years, we now feel it is time to expand our investor base. Given the attractive performance we are enjoying at the moment, we expect to see more interest from institutional investors seeking to invest in our fund,” says to Sven Bouman, CEO/CIO. The Saemor Europe Alpha Fund enjoys a performance of +5,9% YtD (end of June), making it one of the leading hedge funds in its peer group.
De Kleijn has worked in
JMP Group Inc, an investment banking and alternative asset management firm, has appointed Kevin "KC" Lynch to president of Harvest Capital Strategies LLC, its asset management subsidiary. Lynch will also continue in his role as chief operating officer.
"Since joining in 2008, KC has been instrumental in building the institutional-quality infrastructure to position Harvest Capital Strategies for accelerated AUM growth," says Joseph A Jolson, JMP Group’s chairman and chief executive officer. "More recently, he has taken on the added responsibility of managing our fund raising efforts and has been actively involved in developing our strategic growth plan."
Prior to joining
Kinetic Partners, a global professional services firm to the asset management, investment banking and brokerage community, has recruited Christopher Stride as a member of the Firm’s New York office.
Stride, 41, will focus on the Consulting division specialising in corporate recovery and forensic engagements. His primary role will include building relationships with the US legal community to develop Kinetic Partners’ growing onshore insolvency restructuring and forensic practice.
Stride has deep expertise in working with insolvent hedge funds, and his high-profile representation of offshore investment vehicles provides an excellent fit to Kinetic Partners’ expanding presence in the New York market. He
Merlin, a prime brokerage services and technology provider offering integrated solutions to the alternative investment industry, has hired Brian VS McKenna as a partner in the Merlin Institutional Group (MIG). In this role, McKenna will enhance MIG’s institutional sales efforts to large hedge funds and money managers in New York and the Northeast region.
“Brian’s addition allows us to further expand the Merlin Institutional Group and broadens our ability to provide hedge fund clients with differentiated investment ideas and high-quality execution,” says Stephan Vermut, founder and managing partner of Merlin. “Brian is well recognized within the institutional investment community, and
Arden Majewski will be joining CIBC in New York on 8 August as Managing Director and Global Head of Commodities Trading.
Majewski has over 13 years of commodities trading experience and joins CIBC from a large independent energy trading firm in Houston. He has successfully designed and managed commodities trading desks, and has a record of building strong client relationships. CIBC believes that experience will help the firm continue to grow and strengthen its commodities business.
Majewski will report to Christian Exshaw, Managing Director and Head,Capital Markets Trading for the commodities trading business globally, and has local reporting accountabilities to Eric
Proskauer has expanded its global Private Investment Funds Group and London office with the addition of Nigel van Zyl, Kate Simpson and Oliver Rochman as Partners.
Van Zyl and Rochman will join the firm from SJ Berwin, and Simpson will join from Kirkland & Ellis. They bring deep experience in the full range of matters related to the establishment and operation of private investment funds, and related investments and transactions.
“Nigel, Kate and Oliver are a tremendous complement to our private investment fund capabilities in London and around the world,” says David W Tegeler, global co-head of Proskauer’s Private Investment
LandAndBuildings, a property long/short equity fund, has hired two new investment professionals – David Kruth and Corey Lorinsky.
Kruth has joined the firm as Principal and Co-Portfolio Manager focusing on international property. Previously, he was Vice President and Co-Portfolio Manager of the USD2.5 billion Global Real Estate Securities Funds at Goldman Sachs Asset Management where he oversaw global investment for five years. David also spent eight years as Portfolio Manager and Senior Analyst at both Citigroup Property Investors and Alliance Capital Management where he invested in REITs and other public real estate related companies in the U.S. and internationally.

“I’ve known
Maurice ‘Chip’ Perkins, one of the founding members of diversified alternative asset manager MKP Capital Management, is to retire from the firm with effect from the end of 2011.
In addition, Anoop Dhakad and Katherine Plavan are to lead MKP Capital Management’s global client development and investor relations efforts. The formal elevation of Dhakad and Plavan is part of MKP’s long-term succession planning and will enhance client service for the firm’s global investor base.
"Chip has played an integral role in growing the firm into what it has become today and we wish him the best," says Patrick McMahon, MKP’s
