Key Takeaways
- • Downing LLP appointed Tony Stenning as head of liquid alternatives and Huw Price as head of alternatives structuring, marking a strategic expansion of the firm's alternatives capabilities.
- • Stenning brings 17 years of experience from BlackRock, where he contributed to growing assets under management from $17 billion to $150 billion, plus recent executive leadership at Atlantic House Group.
- • Huw Price, formerly an executive director at Santander Asset Management, brings over 30 years of industry experience with specialization in risk, derivatives, and alternative investment techniques.
- • Downing currently manages £1.9 billion in assets and has been operating for over 35 years; the firm added a multi-asset fund-of-funds range in April 2023 as part of its expansion strategy.
- • The appointments signal Downing's commitment to expanding its liquid alternatives platform in response to client demand for broader alternative investment capabilities.
Summary
Downing LLP has strengthened its alternatives investment team with two senior hires aimed at expanding the firm's liquid alternatives offering. Tony Stenning has joined as head of liquid alternatives, while Huw Price takes on the role of head of alternatives structuring. The moves represent a calculated effort by Downing to build depth in a growing market segment.
Stenning's appointment marks his return to active investment management after serving as CEO of Atlantic House Group, a role he held from 2020 before departing last year as planned. His career trajectory carries significant institutional credibility: he spent 17 years at BlackRock beginning in 1999, during which the asset management firm expanded its assets under management from $17 billion to $150 billion. Price brings complementary expertise, having most recently served as an executive director at Santander Asset Management with more than 30 years of financial services experience. His background encompasses risk management, derivatives structuring, and alternative investment techniques—skill sets directly applicable to product development in liquid alternatives.
Kostas Manolis, head of private market investments at Downing, characterized the hires as strategic reinforcements for the firm's growth trajectory. He emphasized that Stenning's public markets experience and product design acumen, combined with Price's alternatives structuring expertise, position the firm to expand capabilities aligned with client demand. Downing, which manages £1.9 billion in assets and has operated for over 35 years, had already signaled this strategic direction in April 2023 by launching a multi-asset fund-of-funds range targeted at UK advisers. The latest appointments suggest the firm is building operational infrastructure to scale these initiatives.
Stenning's own comments underscored the timing, noting that Downing had "built an impressive platform and reputation over the last decade for spotting opportunities and designing products that truly meet investor needs." The collective experience of both hires—exceeding 125 years combined—reflects Downing's intention to position liquid alternatives as a meaningful growth driver alongside its existing private market investments division.
Stenning's appointment marks his return to active investment management after serving as CEO of Atlantic House Group, a role he held from 2020 before departing last year as planned. His career trajectory carries significant institutional credibility: he spent 17 years at BlackRock beginning in 1999, during which the asset management firm expanded its assets under management from $17 billion to $150 billion. Price brings complementary expertise, having most recently served as an executive director at Santander Asset Management with more than 30 years of financial services experience. His background encompasses risk management, derivatives structuring, and alternative investment techniques—skill sets directly applicable to product development in liquid alternatives.
Kostas Manolis, head of private market investments at Downing, characterized the hires as strategic reinforcements for the firm's growth trajectory. He emphasized that Stenning's public markets experience and product design acumen, combined with Price's alternatives structuring expertise, position the firm to expand capabilities aligned with client demand. Downing, which manages £1.9 billion in assets and has operated for over 35 years, had already signaled this strategic direction in April 2023 by launching a multi-asset fund-of-funds range targeted at UK advisers. The latest appointments suggest the firm is building operational infrastructure to scale these initiatives.
Stenning's own comments underscored the timing, noting that Downing had "built an impressive platform and reputation over the last decade for spotting opportunities and designing products that truly meet investor needs." The collective experience of both hires—exceeding 125 years combined—reflects Downing's intention to position liquid alternatives as a meaningful growth driver alongside its existing private market investments division.
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