Ex-CSFB Investment banking head launches hedge fund

Neil Harvey, CSFB's former head of Asian investment banking, has resurfaced on the Asian hedge fund circuit. Industry sources say that Harvey, who left CSFB in 2002, has teamed up with three ex-Macquarie traders to set up Bennelong Asset Management in London. The team is preparing to launch a multi-strategy pan-Asia hedge fund early next year.

Harvey will take charge of business development, capital raising and investor relations for the new fund. The ex-Macquarie trio will manage the fund's trading and operations.

Richard Pegum, previously head of global equity derivatives trading at Macquarie, will take on the role of CIO, while Mark Konda, who was Macquarie's global head of equity finance, will be the new fund's COO. Paul Henry, a trader for 11 years, will serve as head of trading.

The team of three left Macquarie together in 2002, and did a short stint running Standard Bank's equity proprietary trading operations in London before leaving to set up Bennelong. Harvey, meanwhile, spent a decade at CSFB and was responsible for setting up the firm's fixed income operations in Asia.

"The team has a strong pedigree and is well-connected," says one industry participant close to Bennelong. "Being based in London works to their advantage for asset raising as they're in close proximity to European investors, who have historically been the most active allocators to Asian hedge fund strategies."