Key Takeaways
- • ExodusPoint appointed Mehmet Bayraktar as Head of Equity Risk in July 2026, based in New York, recruiting him from the shuttered AB Arya Partners hedge fund subsidiary of AllianceBernstein.
- • Bayraktar brings extensive quantitative and risk management experience across tier-one institutions, including prior roles as co-head of equity risk at Balyasny, portfolio construction lead at Point72, head of equity model research at Citadel, and quant positions at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Barclays.
- • ExodusPoint has systematically hired multiple professionals from AB Arya Partners' closure, including portfolio managers Tim Lash (TMT) and Steve Rettke (healthcare) earlier in 2026, indicating a strategic talent acquisition strategy targeting displaced personnel from defunct competitors.
- • The hire reflects ExodusPoint's broader hiring expansion since its 2018 launch with a record $8.5 billion in capital, as the $14.5 billion multi-manager fund continues to build out specialized risk management capabilities.
Summary
ExodusPoint Capital Management has appointed Mehmet Bayraktar as its new Head of Equity Risk, based in New York. Bayraktar joined the firm this month from AB Arya Partners, the hedge fund subsidiary of asset management firm AllianceBernstein that was shuttered earlier in 2026. His appointment represents another key hire from the defunct fund's talent pool.
Bayraktar's professional background spans quantitative research and risk management roles at leading financial institutions. He previously served as co-head of equity risk at Balyasny, portfolio construction lead at Point72, and head of equity model research at Citadel, spending approximately two years in each position. Prior to these roles, he worked as a quantitative analyst at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Barclays. This combination of experience positions him to manage equity risk frameworks across ExodusPoint's multi-manager platform.
ExodusPoint's recruitment of Bayraktar reflects a broader staffing strategy focused on acquiring talent from AB Arya Partners' dissolution. The firm previously hired portfolio managers Tim Lash and Steve Rettke from AB Arya earlier in 2026—both bringing experience from Millennium Management before their tenure at the AllianceBernstein subsidiary. This pattern of targeted hiring from defunct competitors allows established funds to acquire experienced talent at potentially favorable terms.
The appointment adds to ExodusPoint's expansion trajectory since its 2018 launch as the largest hedge fund debut in history with $8.5 billion in initial capital. The firm, co-founded by Michael Gelband, now manages approximately $14.5 billion in assets. ExodusPoint has pursued significant staff growth and capability-building across portfolio management, quantitative research, and risk infrastructure roles to support its multi-manager operating model.
Bayraktar's professional background spans quantitative research and risk management roles at leading financial institutions. He previously served as co-head of equity risk at Balyasny, portfolio construction lead at Point72, and head of equity model research at Citadel, spending approximately two years in each position. Prior to these roles, he worked as a quantitative analyst at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Barclays. This combination of experience positions him to manage equity risk frameworks across ExodusPoint's multi-manager platform.
ExodusPoint's recruitment of Bayraktar reflects a broader staffing strategy focused on acquiring talent from AB Arya Partners' dissolution. The firm previously hired portfolio managers Tim Lash and Steve Rettke from AB Arya earlier in 2026—both bringing experience from Millennium Management before their tenure at the AllianceBernstein subsidiary. This pattern of targeted hiring from defunct competitors allows established funds to acquire experienced talent at potentially favorable terms.
The appointment adds to ExodusPoint's expansion trajectory since its 2018 launch as the largest hedge fund debut in history with $8.5 billion in initial capital. The firm, co-founded by Michael Gelband, now manages approximately $14.5 billion in assets. ExodusPoint has pursued significant staff growth and capability-building across portfolio management, quantitative research, and risk infrastructure roles to support its multi-manager operating model.
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