Our Team
Blackfriars is deeply committed to providing a collaborative corporate culture that values integrity, original thinking and creativity. We believe investing in global emerging and frontier markets necessitates a specialist approach. Our talented team with in-depth knowledge and experience works closely with the teams in our Hong Kong office, and is truly focused on seeking out the best investment opportunities for our clients.
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Our London team consists of:
CEO
Hugh
Simon
Hugh Simon has over three decades of asset management and investment experience across multiple asset classes and strategies in Asia, Europe and the US. After beginning his career with Schroders, Hugh joined Lazard in 1984 to establish their offices in the Far East (Hong Kong and Japan).
Hugh founded Hamon Investment Group in 1989. Hamon managed assets for BNY Mellon for 18 years, and acquired Blackfriars AM in 2011. An entrepreneurial visionary with deep conviction of Asia’s long term economic growth potential, Hugh has steered Hamon Investment Group to become a multi-strategies platform through M&A and strategic partnerships and the Group has over $2.8bn deployed and managed since inception.
Portfolio Manager
Anastasia
Levashova, PhD
Anastasia joined Blackfriars in 2014 and has over 22 years’ experience in GEM and frontier markets in London, New York and Moscow.
She started her career at Firebird Management in New York focusing on Frontier and Emerging markets, before opening Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Russia & CIS office in Moscow in 2007.
In 2011, Anastasia joined BNP Paribas to establish it's EMEA team and integrate Turkish and South African offices into single EMEA Franchise.
Head of Strategy
Douglas
Eu
Douglas Eu has over three decades of experience in the asset management industry. He has held senior leadership positions as MD and CEO in various global institutions, including JP Morgan Asset Management in Hong Kong, and Allianz Global Investors, and he is also a long-time Global Executive Committee member at Allianz.
Douglas has extensive experience in successfully growing asset management businesses in the US and Asia, and has hands-on experience in portfolio management and leading fund managers specializing in China. He is an innovative leader with expertise in turn-around strategies, spearheading organization and technology change, aligning operating processes, and developing targeted strategies to grow businesses and teams both locally and globally. Douglas is well versed in regulatory-related issues, corporate governance and product marketing and distribution.
Andrew
J. Hicks
Board Director
Andy Hicks joined Blackfriars in 2019 as a member of the Board of Directors. He is a Compliance Professional with over 25 years of experience in Compliance and Compliance Monitoring within the Asset Management sector in particular. He is a Director and Head of Monitoring Services at FMConsult and provides services to a number of diversified clients to whom he consults and has many years experience as Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer. Previously he was a Senior Compliance Executive and Head of Monitoring at a major asset management company for the UK business for over eight years. He managed a team of seven employees. Prior to that, he spent eight years with Beavis Walker, a Chartered Accountant, undertaking audits, accounting services, system installation and special investigations.
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Andy graduated from Thames Valley University with a BA (Hons) in Accounting Studies. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment and holds the CISI Diploma in Regulation & Compliance, Private Client Investment and Advice and Fund Management. He is also part-qualified with the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Andrew
Sherski
Compliance Officer & MLRO
Andrew Sherski joined Blackfriars in 2021 as Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer. He is a Compliance Professional with over 20 years experience in Regulatory Compliance Management, Investment Management and Corporate Finance advisory services to both start-up and existing firms in the financial services sector in the UK and Europe. As a Senior Consultant at FMConsult, Andrew has a number of clients to whom he consults and he has good experience putting in place initial systems and controls for effective compliance management and ensuring that ongoing regulatory requirements are met and continue to function effectively. Previously he was a consultant at a leading Compliance consultancy for three and a half years focusing on clients within Investment Management and Payment services sectors.
Andrew graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA (Hons) in Italian and Business Management. He is an Associate of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments and holds the CISI Certificate in Corporate Finance
Gerald Paul
Aherne
Chief Investment Advisor
Gerry has over 40 years of experience in investment banking, asset management and insurance industries.
He was Chairman of Cenkos Securities plc and Electric & General Investment Fund, a non-executive of Henderson Group plc, Mecom plc, an executive director of Majedie Investments plc and a founding director of PRI Group plc, a Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurer. He was also a non-executive director of Omnis Investments a wholly owned investment company of Openwork.
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He spent 16 years at Schroder Investment Management managing large institutional pension fund clients and retail unit trusts.
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He currently advises a wealth management company on investment policy and is managing partner of Javelin Capital Partners LLP. He read Mathematics at the University of Surrey, attended Oxford University Summer Business School and is an Associate of the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries.
