Swiss-based Palladio Alternative Research SA is pleased to announce that it has hired Katherine Hill as a Managing Director for the Geneva subsidiary. Palladio’s business model is designed to provide insightful outsourcing solutions for hedge fund research, due diligence and advisory, mainly to institutional clients. It will include manager identification, due diligence, follow-up and tailor-made proposals as well as hedge fund audits. Katherine was most recently a Senior Hedge Fund Analyst at Saad Financial Services, a family office in Geneva. Previously, she was based in New York City as a Director at Wedge Alternatives and HedgeFund.net. Palladio Alternative Research SA

The Blackstone Group (NYSE:BX) has appointed Martin Donnelly s a Managing Director in its Sydney, Australia office. He will head business development and client relations in Australia and the Pacific Rim for Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM), the world’s largest provider of customised hedge fund solutions for institutional investors.   Donnelly was most recently Deputy Chief Executive Officer at ING Investment Management Australia. He joins Philip Levinson as the second Managing Director in Blackstone’s Sydney office. This office opened in December 2009. J Tomilson Hill, Blackstone’s Vice Chairman and Head of BAAM, says: “We are delighted to have someone with

Citi today announced that its Securities and Fund Services, part of the Global Transaction Services division, has appointed Atul Dubey as Chief Operating Officer. Dubey erved most recently as the COO of the Investor Services business within Securities and Fund Services. In this new role, he will also oversee the Electronic Markets business. Dubey joined Citi in 2005, running the strategy unit for the Institutional Clients Group, and prior to that he spent 10 years at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, providing strategic advice to leading global financial institutions in the wholesale banking, capital markets and securities processing space. He holds

Throgmorton, one of the UK’s largest specialist accountancy and professional services providers to the hedge fund, private equity and corporate finance industries, has hired Sara Selvarajah to bolster its tax team. Selvarajah will assist and service Throgmorton’s increasing client base with her knowledge across all aspects of tax. The firm hopes to capitalise on the shrinking banking sector and the growing number of proprietary trading desks spinning out to set up fund management companies. Selvarajah’s significant experience and contacts within the banking sector will help achieve this.   Formally a senior member of the tax team at Salomon Brothers and

Ogier Cayman’s litigation team has promoted both Shaun Folpp and Rachael Reynolds to Managing Associates, and Michael Makridakis to Senior Associate. These appointments reflect the contributions of these individuals to Ogier’s litigation practice over the past 18 months.   Ogier Fiduciary Services Cayman Limited meanwhile, has promoted Scott Dakers to Director. In his new role, Dakers will focus on ensuring the highest quality of services targeted to clients in the investment funds sector as well as corporate and commercial. “These promotions reflect the outstanding contributions these individuals have made in their respective areas of expertise,” says Peter Cockhill, Managing Partner,

Singapore Exchange (SGX) has appointed Michael Syn as Senior Vice President and Head of Derivatives, effective 1 March 2011.   In his new role, Syn, who will report to Gan Seow Ann, President of SGX, will lead SGX’s growth in the trading and distribution of derivatives, building on our position as an award-winning derivatives exchange. In 2010, SGX was named the Derivatives Exchange of the Year by Asia Risk. Syn joins SGX from DBS Asset Management, where he oversaw the regional management of the firm as Chief Operating Officer. He brings with him many years of leadership and business development

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association, the sponsoring body of the only globally recognised designation for alternative investment expertise, has appointed Andrew Baker – CEO of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) – to its board of directors. The CAIA Association also announced the election of board member Thomas Schneeweis as the new board chair. Schneeweis is the Michael and Cheryl Philipp Professor of Finance at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts, and founding Director of the Center for International Securities and Derivatives Markets (CISDM) at the Isenberg School. He fills the

Cayman Finance Chairman Anthony Travers, OBE has stepped down from his post after two years in office. According to Cayman Finance, Travers want to spend more time attending to his other business ventures and with his family. During this transitional period, the remaining board members will share directional responsibilities, and an interim Chairman is expected to be announced imminently. Further announcements will be made in due course. “I was asked to take on the role at a time when our public relations were at a low ebb," says Travers. "At the time the UK and US Governments were extremely hostile to the Cayman

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added Martin Cornish as a partner in the financial services practice of the firm’s London office. Cornish joins K&L Gates from Katten Muchin Rosenman Cornish LLP, where he served as managing partner.   A vastly experienced investment management lawyer with a focus in the international financial services area, Cornish advises hedge funds, commodities and derivatives brokers and dealers, banks, and investment banks and managers on a variety of matters involving funds, financial services regulation, and derivatives. Previously, he was head of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Landwell financial services network of law firms, European legal director to a major