We are committed to developing high performance teams as an important step in building a world-class company. We are proud to count on our team experienced people from a range of countries and backgrounds, who are leverage their experience and know-how to ensure the most efficient, sustainable and responsible practices.
LFF Group’s main companies: Lyons Seafoods, Farne of Scotland, Labeyrie, King Cuisine, Père Olive, Blini, Le traiteur Grec, Delpierre, Labeyrie Traiteur Frozen, Salé Sucré.
Track Record:
Directorships: Snacks International, SIA Group Savencia Fromages and Dairy, Logismose Meyers Denmark, Alliance Etiquettes and Family Service.
o EBITDA X 30 in 25 years
LFF Group’s main companies: Lyons Seafoods, Farne of Scotland, Labeyrie, King Cuisine, Père Olive, Blini, Le traiteur Grec, Delpierre, Labeyrie Traiteur Frozen, Salé Sucré.
Track Record:
Directorships: Snacks International, SIA Group Savencia Fromages and Dairy, Logismose Meyers Denmark, Alliance Etiquettes and Family Service.
Axel Hoffmann has 20 years of experience in insurance, reinsurance and asset management. Starting at Munich Re, he had responsibilities ranging from financial reinsurance, corporate finance, M&A, risk capital modelling and asset liability management to Solvency II. Afterwards, Axel served AXA Germany as director for asset liability management, investment strategy and alternative investments and then joined AXA Belgium as a board member and CIO, where he was part of AXA’s global CIO team, which is responsible for € 600 billion of insurance investments.
Since 2013, Axel has been a board member and CIO of Volkswohl Bund insurance group. Reshaping investment strategy, risk capital and adding new asset classes with a specific focus on alternative assets, which has been honoured with awards for best insurance company and best alternative assets investor (by portfolio institutionell magazine).
Axel holds a diploma in mathematics from Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and earned the M.B.A. degree at The College of Insurance, New York, N.Y. He is member of the German Actuarial Association (Aktuar DAV) and CFA charter holder.
James Munce is the COO / CFO of Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners. James started his career with PwC auditing private equity and hedge funds whilst qualifying as a chartered accountant before moving to Merrill Lynch (BAML) in 2007. James spent 11 years at BAML building out the award-winning Merrill Lynch Investment Solutions (MLIS) UCITS platform that partnered with top tier investment managers to provide European distribution and infrastructure. MLIS had peak assets of $6.5 BN and James served as both COO and CEO. Prior to joining Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners James was the COO of the Australian multi boutique business Fidante Partners with assets of $65 BN across 14 boutique partners.
Stephane Farouze has 25 years of investment experience. Prior to founding 8F Investment Partners, Stephane was Chairman of Alternatives for Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management. Before moving into that role, he was the Global Head of Alternatives and Fund Solutions and Member of the DeAWM Executive Committee. Stephane spent three years as a member of the Management Executive Committee for both Deutsche Asset Management and the Private Bank. As Head of Alternatives and Fund Solutions, Stephane’s team managed more than 200 professionals globally and was directly responsible for a total of US$50 billion of assets in Private Equity, Hedge Funds and Retirement Solutions.
Prior to that, Stephane served as the Global Head of Deutsche Bank’s Fund Derivatives and Hybrids Group within the Corporate Bank & Securities division, during which time the team was awarded the Risk Magazine award for ‘Hedge Fund Derivatives House of the Year’ 6 times in a row, the HFM award for ‘Best Overall Investment Platform’ and ‘Best Managed Account Platform’ twice, as well as various UCITS Platform and Product awards. In addition, Stephane was Awarded ‘Best Active Manager’ by Risk Magazine in 2002.
Before joining Deutsche Bank, Stephane was a Partner at Paradigm Global Advisors. He was also the Global Head of Sales and Structuring at Societe Generale Asset Management. Stephane has also worked at other financial institutions such as BNP, Commerzbank, Smith Barney and Paine Webber. Until 2009, Stephane was also a Director of Tarrant Apparel Group, a company listed on the Nasdaq since 2003.
Stephane holds Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Sciences and a Business Administration Degree in Finance from San Diego State University.
Karim Ghannam is based in Singapore and has 20 years of experience in fund management and investment banking. Karim was the Managing Director and Head of Alternatives & Fund solutions in Asia Pacific for Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management. Karim’s responsibilities included oversight of the bank’s hedge fund, private equity/private markets, third-party mutual funds and retirement/hybrids groups in the region. He was a member of the Alternatives and Fund Solutions Executive Committee and the Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management Asia Pacific Executive Committee.
Karim joined Deutsche Bank Group in 2011 with 14 years of industry experience. Prior to that, Karim was the global co-head of DB Private Equity & Private Markets – Deutsche Bank’s US$11 billion AUM primary, secondary and co-investment platform – and co-chair of the Global Investment Committee. He was the Global Head of Private Markets within Deutsche Bank’s Wealth Management business with overall responsibility for product selection, structuring and management within the private equity, real estate and credit space.
Before joining Deutsche Bank Group, Karim was at Argan Capital, a European mid-market private equity fund, where he spent 10 years, most recently as a Partner responsible for principal investments. Karim was a member of the investment committee at Argan Capital (and its predecessor, Bank of America Capital Partners) and helped oversee over €600m of investments. Karim led a number of European private equity deals, including structuring financing, implementing strategic change and exercising executive and board control. Prior to joining the Argan team in 2001, he worked with Merrill Lynch in London and Lehman Brothers in New York, where he concentrated on financing and M&A transactions for industrial growth, energy and power, and telecommunications companies.
Karim holds a Masters degree from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.
Martin Fothergill is based in London and has 24 years of experience in the finance industry, including 18 years at Deutsche Bank where he most recently held the position of Managing Director, Global Head of Multi-Asset Products with responsibility for hedge funds, private equity and mutual funds. He was also a member of the Global Investment Solutions Executive Committee.
Previously, as Managing Director, Global Head of Liquid Alternatives for the Alternatives & Fund Solutions group at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, Martin was responsible for a range of alternatives businesses including a US$12 billion managed account platform. This business won numerous awards over a multi-year period including best overall investment platform and best UCITS platform. He was also a Member of the Alternatives & Fund Solutions Executive Committee and the Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management UK Executive Committee.
Prior to this role Martin was Managing Director in the Global Fund Derivatives group in the investment bank where he held various roles including the set-up and development of the managed account business and as head of investment fund research covering long only funds, hedge funds and private equity.
Before joining Deutsche Bank Martin held investment fund research roles at Bankers Trust, Santander and ING Barings (Baring Securities) where his focus was primary on long-only closed-end funds typically investing in emerging and frontier markets.
Martin holds a Masters Degree in Finance and Investment from the University of Exeter and has written articles on hedge funds and had papers published including in the Journal of Alternative Investments.
Kaylynn Lee is based in Singapore and has 5 years of experience in the private equity industry. Prior to joining 8F, she was a Senior Associate at F&H Fund Management, a pan-Asian private equity platform co-founded by the ex-CTO of Alibaba. In her time at F&H, Kaylynn triple-hatted the growth capital investments, real estate redevelopment, as well as hospitality funds.
Kaylynn helped to manage F&H’s private equity growth capital investments, covering the investment value chain full cycle from deal sourcing, due diligence, execution, to portfolio management and divestment. In particular, she oversaw consumer and technology targets and portfolio companies operating in and expanding to Southeast Asia and Israel.
F&H’s first real estate fund comprised setup, asset acquisition, financing, redevelopment, and marketing for a strata-titled, mixed-use building in Singapore, which Kaylynn took charge of stakeholder interests. This included shareholder capital calls and update reports, as well as day-to-day developer operations.
In partnership with Ctrip (NASDAQ: CTRP), F&H launched its pioneer hospitality fund to acquire and manage hotel properties in the UK. Kaylynn assisted in the asset management and asset acquisition efforts, including on-site due diligence, market study, execution, and asset enhancement initiatives.
Kaylynn holds a Magna Cum Laude in Bachelor of Business Management, double major Finance and Operations Management, from Singapore Management University. She also completed a half year exchange program at the University of Southern California.
