What is a hedge fund?
A hedge fund is a pooled investment vehicle that employs diverse and often complex strategies to generate returns for sophisticated investors, typically aiming to outperform traditional markets. Unlike normal long-only funds, hedge funds often use leverage, derivatives and short-selling, and they operate with greater flexibility, targeting absolute returns, regardless of market conditions.
What does the head of hedge funds do?
My role within the investment team requires me to provide end-to-end investment solutions serving our institutional and retail client bases. This includes understanding the hedge fund market environment and peer universe, being responsible for researching and selecting skilful hedge fund managers locally and globally, and supporting the various business units in their use of hedge fund solutions.
What do you wish more people knew about investing?
I wish people knew that there are so many different investment products available to help them reach their financial goals, and many of these products are simple and easy to access.
What do you think makes you good at what you do?
It is my curiosity and competitive nature that drive me to want to do well. In the investment industry, where we are inundated with information and we all have roughly the same information at hand, curiosity helps unearth opportunities and also helps challenge current views to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals driving certain market movements.
What do you love about your job?
What I enjoy most is that every day is different. Almost anything happening in the world can affect markets, so there is never a dull moment in my role.
What drew you to work in financial services?
In my first year of university, when I was a mathematics student, I attended a campus talk that discussed ways we could use our mathematics degrees. Sitting there listening to brilliant people talk about this topic really caught my attention, and that’s what inspired me to build my career in this industry.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
Growing up, I wanted to be a Proteas cricket player because of how much I loved the sport — I still do. I would have sessions with friends at the local sports club almost every weekend.
What do you look for when recruiting for your team?
Passion and curiosity are two things that will take a person far, and that’s what I look for in candidates. A lot of the investment-related knowledge can be taught, and individuals can be upskilled, but the “love of the game” can’t be taught.
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