The THEAM will combine BNP Paribas Asset Management’s SIGMA teams with those of Harewood Asset Management that was created in 2004 at the initiative of BNPP CIB’s equity derivatives teams.
The investment partner will also draw part of the SIGMA team’s expertise in index and guaranteed portfolio management, risk allocation and absolute return strategies, while Harewood Asset management will provide its expertise in systematic funds, the use of underlying assets and funds of hedge funds.
BNP Paribas said that the aim of the merger is to provide investment solutions that meet the needs of investor profiles across a spectrum of underlying assets such as equities, bonds, commodities, volatility, currencies, etc.
The new entity will offer four main categories of portfolio management services that include index management; active systematic; guaranteed and protected management; and liquid alternative management.
THEAM will have around EUR50bn in assets under management. The team at the new partner will consist of 120 investment and market professionals, and it will be backed by the sales forces of both BNP Paribas IP and BNP Paribas CIB – more than 400 sales representatives and a current portfolio of 1500 clients.
With five domestic markets (France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), the new partner is expected to benefit from a distribution network and tap into the convergence ushered in by UCITS IV.
As a new BNP Paribas IP Partner, THEAM will be chaired by Dominique Hoenn and managed by Gilles Guerin as CEO.
Guerin will be assisted by Denis Panel (CIO) as head of investment and structuring, and Alexandre Mojaisky (COO) as head of sales and support.
THEAM will have a supervisory board comprising six members (three from BNP Paribas IP and three from BNP Paribas CIB) and which will be chaired by Philippe Marchessaux.
Marchessaux said that this ambitious project, which brings together the talents and skills in both corporate and investment banking and asset management, offers a unique opportunity for investors to access a vast range of investment solutions.
