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San Francisco – Hall Capital Partners LLC, an independent investment advisor overseeing $22 billion in global multi-asset class strategies for high-net-worth and institutional investors, is pleased to announce the expansion of the firm’s marketing efforts with the appointment of Richard L. Grand-Jean, as principal and director of business development for the Eastern United States.
In this new role, Mr. Grand-Jean, 66, will offer Hall Capital Partners’ expertise in building and managing customized global multi-asset portfolios, specialized mandates, and the firm’s fund of funds program. Mr. Grand-Jean will focus on the Eastern U.S. institutional market segment, including consultants, endowments, foundations, family offices, and registered investment advisors. Jeff L. Shields maintains his role as director of business development, and will concentrate on the Western U.S. Mr. Shields and Mr. Grand-Jean, who began his assignment in August and is based in Hall Capital’s New York office, both report to John F. Boneparth, president of the San Francisco-based firm.
“We’re delighted to recruit Rick, with his extensive background and expertise, as we ramp up our marketing focus on the institutional market,” said John Boneparth. “With Rick’s appointment to cover the Eastern United States, the key elements of our distribution strategy are now in place.”
Before joining Hall Capital Partners, Mr. Grand-Jean served as president of Abel’s Hill Capital Corp. and Global Film Equity Corp., firms specializing in capital raising, M&A, and advisory services largely focused on the media and entertainment industries. Previously, Mr. Grand-Jean was an executive from 1971 to 1992 at Salomon Brothers, where he served in various senior roles in New York, London, and Tokyo, including managing director in the firm’s investment banking media group, head of global capital markets, and head of the capital markets group.
Mr. Grand-Jean earned a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.
About Hall Capital Partners
Established in 1994, Hall Capital Partners LLC is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor that builds and manages customized global multi-asset class portfolios for individuals, families, and institutions. Hall Capital Partners oversees $22 billion in traditional and alternative assets for its portfolio management clients and funds of funds investors. The firm employs more than 100 people in San Francisco and New York. For more information please visit our website at www.hallcapital.com.
Bloomberg – Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. will shift more of its 11 trillion yen ($100 billion) in assets to hedge funds and scour the globe for bargains as the credit squeeze forces down prices.
Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., a unit of Japan’s biggest casualty insurer, may boost its investments in hedge funds by as much as 30 billion yen annually, said Fumihiro Nakajima, who runs the firm’s hedge fund investment group. The insurer has almost 200 billion yen in this asset class, he said.
“Our goal is to gradually increase hedge funds investments,” said Nakajima, 44, in an interview in Tokyo yesterday. “In the wake of subprime loan problems, there will be an opportunity to invest in hedge funds that invest in the credit market,” including high-yield bonds and credit-default swaps.
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – RBC Capital Markets has unveiled its newest venture, the Global Prime Services Group that will provide comprehensive support and a vast platform of services to hedge fund and mutual fund managers as well as institutional asset managers.
Global Prime Services Group comes at a time when hedge fund managers and other institutional money managers are in need of a specialized tier of services. By providing an integral package of service providers and prime brokerage, clients are gaining the robust array of multi-asset class products and services needed in today’s complex and ever-changing markets.
“Building the Global Prime Services Group enables us to truly partner with our clients,” said Greg Mills, head of Global Equity Sales & Trading for RBC Capital Markets. “We are now able to provide a fully consolidated platform that enables us to maximize the benefits to our clients and efficiently employ RBC’s financing capabilities.”
While outsourcing often results in fund managers not receiving the attention and level of services they need, GPS provides a single platform of services and uses a wide-angle view to assess each particular business. This includes capital management, direct marketing, prime brokerage, electronic trading and capital introductions. The strong credit quality and stability of the providers is something that managers are actively seeking.
“While the past few months have seen unprecedented challenges in the brokerage industry, RBC’s strength and stability has been and will remain a source of confidence for our clients, particularly those in alternative investments,” said Jeremy Frommer, head of RBC Global Prime Services.
Global Prime Services Group has seen a vast increase in the number of emerging hedge fund managers that are aligning themselves with the company. Due to the cost efficiency and the simplicity involved in using a full service third party, new managers are capitalizing on the opportunity.
Already a leader in Canada, GPS is expecting substantial growth this year, while aiming to excel side by side with the emerging and existing managers they are working with.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
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HedgeWeek – TriAlpha, the asset management arm of the Stonehage Group, an international wealth management group, has launched the TriAlpha Global Property Strategy Fund, a fund of property hedge funds.
The fund seeks absolute returns by focusing on hedge fund managers that specialise in the global property sector. The portfolio will include property hedge funds from prominent management firms such as Credit Suisse, Thames River Capital and New Star Asset Management.
‘With increasing uncertainty and volatility in the property sector, a fund of hedge funds approach to this asset class looks extremely favourable,’ says TriAlpha director Cobus Kruger. ‘The easy money has been made – given this volatility it’s now time for the skills of hedge fund managers to be employed.’
TriAlpha has a 10-year track record in managing funds of hedge funds, and through Stonehage Property Partners the group has extensive experience in property investment.
‘Using a fund of funds approach allows us to exploit opportunities across global property markets with an absolute return focus through the full property cycle,’ says Sean Curry, head of TriAlpha’s fund of hedge funds team.
