Key Takeaways
- • Michel Serieyssol, managing director and head of European prime brokerage services at Bear Stearns, has been hired by MSCI as global head of the hedge fund index business, based in London.
- • MSCI, a division of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, is expanding beyond its core equity indices and benchmark products to enter the hedge fund indexing market, an area where it currently has no offerings.
- • Serieyssol's appointment signals MSCI's strategic commitment to developing hedge fund index capabilities, leveraging his prime brokerage expertise to establish credibility with institutional clients in the alternative investment space.
Summary
MSCI has appointed Michel Serieyssol as global head of its newly created hedge fund index business, marking the investment research firm's entry into alternative index development. Serieyssol, who held the position of managing director and head of European prime brokerage services at Bear Stearns, will be based in London and report directly to MSCI leadership. This hire represents a deliberate strategic expansion for MSCI, which is primarily known for its global equity indices and benchmark-related products and services for institutional investors.
The appointment underscores MSCI's ambition to extend its index franchise into the hedge fund sector, an area where the firm currently lacks offerings. By recruiting Serieyssol from a major prime broker, MSCI gains access to deep market knowledge of institutional hedge fund operations and client relationships. His background in European prime brokerage—a critical service layer that supports hedge fund operations through financing, settlement, and risk management—positions him to develop indices that meet the needs of both hedge fund managers and their investors.
MSCI's move into hedge fund indexing comes as institutional investors increasingly seek transparent, benchmarked approaches to hedge fund allocation. The appointment signals that the index provider intends to build a credible product suite in this space, leveraging Serieyssol's institutional relationships and operational expertise to establish market-leading hedge fund indices. This represents MSCI's deliberate geographic and product diversification strategy beyond its historical focus on equity market benchmarks.
The appointment underscores MSCI's ambition to extend its index franchise into the hedge fund sector, an area where the firm currently lacks offerings. By recruiting Serieyssol from a major prime broker, MSCI gains access to deep market knowledge of institutional hedge fund operations and client relationships. His background in European prime brokerage—a critical service layer that supports hedge fund operations through financing, settlement, and risk management—positions him to develop indices that meet the needs of both hedge fund managers and their investors.
MSCI's move into hedge fund indexing comes as institutional investors increasingly seek transparent, benchmarked approaches to hedge fund allocation. The appointment signals that the index provider intends to build a credible product suite in this space, leveraging Serieyssol's institutional relationships and operational expertise to establish market-leading hedge fund indices. This represents MSCI's deliberate geographic and product diversification strategy beyond its historical focus on equity market benchmarks.
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