Key Takeaways
- • Balyasny Asset Management hired Mike DiSpirito as an equity trader in New York, following his 11+ year tenure at BlackRock as Director of Equity & Derivatives Trading.
- • DiSpirito brings 15+ years of experience across asset management and global markets, with expertise in index strategies, systematic and quantitative trading, risk arbitrage, ETFs, derivatives, and multi-asset portfolio execution across regions.
- • The hire reflects Balyasny's continued expansion of trading and investment teams amid intensifying competition for talent in hedge funds and systematic investing, following recent senior additions including Paul Battams (global head of equity trading from BlackRock), Jamie Mansell (macro, from Deutsche Bank), and Dara Falahi (from Capstone Investment Advisors).
- • DiSpirito's background spans European equity and derivatives trading, portfolio finance, and earlier roles at Citigroup Markets Treasury and PwC in asset management advisory.
Summary
Balyasny Asset Management has expanded its trading infrastructure with the addition of Mike DiSpirito as an equity trader based in New York, marking the continuation of the multi-strategy hedge fund's aggressive talent acquisition campaign. DiSpirito joins from BlackRock, where he spent over 11 years and most recently held the title of Director of Equity & Derivatives Trading, a leadership role in which he managed a European trading pod responsible for index, systematic, and quantitative strategies alongside risk arbitrage, ETFs, equity derivatives, and portfolio transitions.
In his BlackRock position, DiSpirito coordinated execution across multiple trading styles and asset classes, handling complex multi-asset equity flows on a regional basis. His prior experience at BlackRock included more than six years as Vice President in equity and derivatives trading, where he focused on European execution and derivatives markets. He also worked in portfolio finance roles supporting financing and balance sheet-related activities within BlackRock's broader markets platform. DiSpirito's career trajectory extends beyond BlackRock to earlier positions at Citigroup in Markets Treasury and advisory roles at PwC focused on asset management.
Balyasny's hiring of DiSpirito underscores the firm's strategic focus on bolstering its trading capabilities across its multi-strategy platforms, which encompass global equities, macro, credit, and quantitative trading operations. The move comes as part of a broader recruitment effort within the hedge fund industry, where competition for experienced talent has intensified. Recent hires at Balyasny include Paul Battams, hired as global head of equity trading from BlackRock; Jamie Mansell, brought on for the macro business from Deutsche Bank; and Dara Falahi, recruited from Capstone Investment Advisors. These additions signal Balyasny's commitment to expanding its investment team capacity and deepening expertise across trading disciplines as the firm navigates an increasingly competitive landscape for institutional talent.
In his BlackRock position, DiSpirito coordinated execution across multiple trading styles and asset classes, handling complex multi-asset equity flows on a regional basis. His prior experience at BlackRock included more than six years as Vice President in equity and derivatives trading, where he focused on European execution and derivatives markets. He also worked in portfolio finance roles supporting financing and balance sheet-related activities within BlackRock's broader markets platform. DiSpirito's career trajectory extends beyond BlackRock to earlier positions at Citigroup in Markets Treasury and advisory roles at PwC focused on asset management.
Balyasny's hiring of DiSpirito underscores the firm's strategic focus on bolstering its trading capabilities across its multi-strategy platforms, which encompass global equities, macro, credit, and quantitative trading operations. The move comes as part of a broader recruitment effort within the hedge fund industry, where competition for experienced talent has intensified. Recent hires at Balyasny include Paul Battams, hired as global head of equity trading from BlackRock; Jamie Mansell, brought on for the macro business from Deutsche Bank; and Dara Falahi, recruited from Capstone Investment Advisors. These additions signal Balyasny's commitment to expanding its investment team capacity and deepening expertise across trading disciplines as the firm navigates an increasingly competitive landscape for institutional talent.
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