Key Takeaways
- • Arini Capital hired Hassan Ajakane as an equity derivatives portfolio manager from DRW to strengthen credit hedging capabilities, building on the firm's credit-focused investment strategy with approximately 80% of assets in performing credit.
- • Arini, a $12 billion London-based hedge fund founded four years ago by Hamza Lemssouguer, continues expanding its risk management infrastructure through strategic senior hires including Shang-Wei Ye for catastrophe bond portfolio management.
- • The firm reported 17% year-to-date returns through August and maintains high compensation levels averaging $1.3 million per head among its approximately 100 global staff, with recent expansion including a new Abu Dhabi office led by former BlackRock leveraged finance head Jeysson Abergel.
- • Ajakane brings nearly nine years of experience from Morgan Stanley and joins Arini's push to diversify alternative strategies and hedge credit exposure through specialized portfolio management expertise.
Summary
Arini Capital Management has bolstered its investment team by hiring Hassan Ajakane as an equity derivatives portfolio manager, reinforcing the London-based hedge fund's credit risk management capabilities. Ajakane, who joins from DRW following nearly nine years at Morgan Stanley, will focus on strengthening the firm's credit hedging strategies as Arini continues its strategic expansion across alternative investment disciplines.
The hire reflects Arini's broader diversification initiative beyond its core credit focus. The firm, which manages $12 billion and was founded four years ago by Hamza Lemssouguer, has approximately 80% of its assets invested in performing credit instruments. The addition of Ajakane follows the recent recruitment of Shang-Wei Ye to manage the firm's catastrophe bond portfolio—another marker of Arini's deliberate expansion into adjacent risk management and alternative strategy verticals. These appointments underscore management's commitment to building institutional-grade infrastructure for managing concentrated credit exposure through complementary hedging vehicles.
Arini's growth trajectory reflects strong performance and competitive compensation positioning. The firm reported a 17% year-to-date return through August and maintains notably high compensation levels, with London employees averaging $1.3 million per head across its 49-person London office. The fund employs approximately 100 staff globally and recently opened an Abu Dhabi office under the leadership of Jeysson Abergel, formerly head of leveraged finance at BlackRock. These capital deployments signal management confidence in scaling operations while maintaining the specialized talent required for credit-centric strategies in an evolving macro environment.
The hire reflects Arini's broader diversification initiative beyond its core credit focus. The firm, which manages $12 billion and was founded four years ago by Hamza Lemssouguer, has approximately 80% of its assets invested in performing credit instruments. The addition of Ajakane follows the recent recruitment of Shang-Wei Ye to manage the firm's catastrophe bond portfolio—another marker of Arini's deliberate expansion into adjacent risk management and alternative strategy verticals. These appointments underscore management's commitment to building institutional-grade infrastructure for managing concentrated credit exposure through complementary hedging vehicles.
Arini's growth trajectory reflects strong performance and competitive compensation positioning. The firm reported a 17% year-to-date return through August and maintains notably high compensation levels, with London employees averaging $1.3 million per head across its 49-person London office. The fund employs approximately 100 staff globally and recently opened an Abu Dhabi office under the leadership of Jeysson Abergel, formerly head of leveraged finance at BlackRock. These capital deployments signal management confidence in scaling operations while maintaining the specialized talent required for credit-centric strategies in an evolving macro environment.
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