Matthews International Capital Management, a San Francisco-based fund manager which opened a London office last year, is hiring for positions in business development, client
services and marketing in Europe.
Jonathan Schuman, head of global business development at the specialist Asia investment firm, told Funds Europe that he is looking for senior staff following the departure of Simon Dale in February.
Although hiring teams is becoming increasingly popular among asset managers as they aim to fill strategic product gaps and raise assets fast, Schuman says he is not pursuing a team lift.
Schuman and his team are screening candidates for just two senior positions in the client and distribution, and marketing, areas and he says the team will be built incrementally.
“We are looking for qualified individuals who are passionate about Asia,” he says. “We will evaluate other business needs as the business progresses.”
Matthews International Capital Management set up its London office last year and initially hired former Invesco Perpetual sales manager Simon Dale to spearhead its expansion across the UK and Europe.
Dale left in February and joined Woodford, a start-up by former Invesco Perpetual manager Neil Woodford.
Schuman and his team began to introduce its investment approach to European investors three years ago, with the launch of eight Luxembourg-domiciled Ucits funds investing in equities.
All eight funds mirror longer-running mutual funds in the US.
Schuman says the reception of its funds has been warm among those investors who want a strategic allocation to Asia, particularly those looking for alternatives to commonly used Asian funds.
He adds: “After two years of bearish sentiment in Asia, we do see sentiment towards Asia is starting to shift since the last part of last year.”
