Qube Research & Technologies, the quantitative hedge fund spun out of Credit Suisse, is continuing its strategic pivot beyond pure quant by poaching top-ranked equity researchers from the sell side, including veterans from Barclays, according to a report by eFinancial Careers.
The firm has hired Iain Simpson, a veteran equity research analyst who spent 18 years in the industry – most recently as part of Barclays’ top-rated consumer staples team. Simpson announced on LinkedIn that he has joined Qube’s fundamental equities division as a global consumer staples analyst, calling it an “exciting new challenge.”
The hire is part of Qube’s broader push to integrate discretionary stock picking alongside its traditional quantitative models. Earlier this year, the firm brought in Stephen Irvine, previously CIO and founder of Lijaro Asset Management, as head of fundamental analyst research. Simpson and other recent hires, such as Robert Joynson from BNP Paribas, appear to be part of Irvine’s build-out of a discretionary research team.
Qube’s hiring spree also extends across geographies. The firm recently opened a commodities-focused office in Houston and is backing Jerpoint Capital, a new hedge fund founded by former Citadel PM Sean Murphy. Murphy’s COO, Owain Lewis, was previously at Lijaro—marking yet another connection to Irvine.
