3 Can't Miss Moments at GAIM Ops Cayman

In case you need more reasons to attend the Operations, Compliance and Due Diligence event of the year, here are three: 1.    Meet peers, forge new business and connect with the thought leaders at these networking events: April 6th, 5th Annual Charity Night Reception - all net proceeds go to R Baby Foundation, Michael's Mission, Hedge Funds Care Cayman April 7th , Cocktails and Conversations Tables  April 9th, Beach Party Click here for more details about the networking events 2.    If you are an institutional investor, acquire pertinent information from the thought leaders in the business on: Evaluating, Managing and Identifying Outsourced Staff and Service Providers Operational Alpha ODD: Different Approaches for Different Asset Classes Investor...

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Q&A with Christian Szylar, Global Head of Risk and Performance Measurement at Marshall Wace LLP

GAIM Ops International speaker Christian Szylar, Global Head of Risk and Performance Measurement at Marshall Wace LLP, to discuss how risk management activities for alternative asset managers have changed since the 2008-2009 financial crises. What kinds of questions do your investors ask you most often? I assume that your question refers to questions I’m asked in my capacity of managing the risk department. Investors mainly during the due diligence process want first to make sure about proper risk governance in the firm, and have a sense of comfort that proper risk management systems are in place to understand what the main risk drivers are for any portfolio. They are particularly interested in the changes we have implemented in the way we monitor risk since the financial crisis, and how...

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So You Want to be a Mutual Fund Manager

By: Stephen H. Bier, Aisha Hunt, and Jonathan R. Massey, Dechert LLP*   So you are an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (“Advisers Act”). You currently manage separate accounts and, perhaps, one or more private funds, but you are interested in getting into the registered fund business. As an SEC registered adviser, you have already adopted compliance policies and procedures pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 of the Advisers Act and you are certainly eligible to advise a registered investment company.1 So you’re good to go? . . . Not so fast. To read the rest of this article visit the Alternative Strategy Mutual Funds Forum event website....

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What TESLA’s Recent Success Means for America’s Manufacturing Comeback

With much fanfare, Tesla just announced its first quarterly profit: $11.2 million.  Why is this so significant?  Well, some core tenants of Tesla’s manufacturing process are gaining traction among manufacturers globally as they assess new opportunities in the U.S. A lot has been written lately about America’s comeback as a manufacturing powerhouse.  While the degree to which this country will see a resurgence in manufacturing jobs is open for debate, one thing is for certain – cost efficiencies from natural gas exploration, increased labor costs abroad and new innovation in the US with regards to automation, 3D printing and many other technologies have all converged to fuel the perfect storm of opportunity.   But the how,...

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6 Ways Hedge Funds Need to Adapt Now

The Sixth Annual Global Survey of Institutional Hedge Fund Investors + Insights from Industry Roundtables The hedge fund industry is here to stay. Yet, the industry’s value proposition is being seriously questioned, and institutions continue to escalate their demands for transparency and intensify their due-diligence processes.  Some see the institutionalization of hedge funds as a double-edged trend that may hinder performance even as it brings more discipline and accountability to the industry.  No longer can managers simply “show and tell.”  Now investors want proof and need to judge for themselves. To explore what directions the industry is taking now, and how hedge fund firms can better equip themselves to succeed, SEI...

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Could a Virtual Currency be the Next ETF?

You may have heard a lot about Bitcoin in the past week. For one, the worth of the digital currency has skyrocketed, with values topping $250 today, up from $44 a month ago – and $4.93 a year ago. The staggering run-up has got the InAlternatives team excited – but there’s also talk of a potential bubble in the making, particularly in the wake of a “flash crash” last month that was eventually traced to a technological glitch in the Bitcoin exchange. Of course, the mishap didn’t temper the appetite for the virtual currency, which is traded on a peer-to-peer network outside the control of central banks. This recent VF.com story on Bitcoin reiterates the old adage, the bigger the risk, the more lucrative the reward. Despite its rock-n-roll beginnings,...

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And the hits just keep on coming…

It is clear from all the news these last few weeks that insider trading indictments are not going away. The SEC has clearly targeted any and all who are suspected of doing this dirty deed. And if insider trading indictments aren’t bad enough, it seems now the press is focused on how hedge fund managers are spending their market winnings.  Just as we all were settling to read about the recent indictments of SAC Capital Advisors LP personnel as well as additional indictments in the Galleon Group case, we got wind of a recent spending spree by SAC founder Steve Cohen. His purchase of a home in the Hamptons and Picasso’s “Le Rêve”  have made substantial headlines around world. For news junkies, these are the stories that keep on going. It...

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