CHIKARA INVESTMENTS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Portfolio Manager
Abhinav co-manages the Chikara Indian Subcontinent Fund which launched in November 2018. He joined the Chikara group in 2016 and was based in Singapore initially working as an analyst on the CC Asia Alpha Fund and Chikara Asian Evolution Fund.
At the start of his career Abhinav spent four years as an equity specialist in India's leading domestic investment bank Motilal Oswal, before joining Merrill Lynch India for 18 months covering Indian equities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Portfolio Manager
Andy co-manages the Chikara Indian Subcontinent Fund which launched in November 2018. He has been with Chikara Investments LLP (Chikara) since 2008, initially working on the CC Asia Alpha Fund and the Chikara Asian Evolution Fund from 2010.
Prior to Chikara Andy spent 3 years in Hong Kong with Macquarie Securities, and before that Merrill Lynch Asia, and TT investment Management on the Asian desk in 2001. Andy was appointed a member of Chikara in 2014.
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Member of the Investment Team
- Portfolio Manager
Chris graduated with a law degree from the University of Aberdeen, First Class Honours in 2011 and worked at Deloitte for three years, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
He joined Stewart Investors in 2015. Chris was initially responsible for providing research, covering primarily the Asia Pacific ex-Japan region and all industry sectors. In January 2021 Chris was appointed Lead Portfolios Manager of the Global Emerging Markets All Cap fund. He left Stewart Investors in October 2022, joining Chikara in March 2023.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Member of the Investment Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- EM Business Head / Project Manager
Joanna holds a BSc (Hons) in European Studies and French from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.
Joanna initially started her career as a portfolio manager with Martin Currie Investment Management in the 1990s, and in the early 2000s worked for SWIP initially as a Relationship Manager and latterly as Product Specialist within the Global Emerging Markets team. She joined Stewart Investors Global Emerging Markets team in 2013 as an analyst. Whilst there, she also ran the St Andrews Partners client team in 2017, became Business Head of the St Andrews Partners investment team in 2019 and was appointed to the Stewart Investors Board. She left Stewart Investors in January 2023 and joined Chikara in March 2023.
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Member of the Investment Team
- Portfolio Manager
Jonathan graduated from the London School of Economics with a BSc and a MSc in Economics and subsequently taught classes in economics and econometrics at the London School of Economics whilst doing postgraduate research in the area of economic development and industrial organisation.
He joined Natwest Group in 1994, followed by Axa Framlington in 1995 as a Global Emerging Markets fund manager, and Group Economist from 2001. He then joined what was then the Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets team of First State Investments in 2004 (subsequently First State Stewart, then Stewart Investors) and in 2008 was appointed Lead Portfolio Manager for all GEM funds. He was appointed as one of two Managing Partners of Stewart Investors. He left the business in 2019 to pursue his own path. In March 2023 he joined Chikara along with some ex-colleagues to run the Global Emerging Markets team.
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Portfolio Manager
- Deputy Manager of the Chikara Japan Alpha
Megumi is the Deputy Manager of the Chikara Japan Alpha fund. She joined Chikara Investments LLP in 2018 to work as an investment analyst on the Chikara Japan Alpha Fund, Chikara Japan Income & Growth Fund and the CC Japan Income & Growth Trust plc.
She developed her career primarily in equity sales, and working at companies including Nomura and SMBC Nikko, she gained an extensive knowledge of the Japanese equities market. Most recently, Megumi was employed as a credit analyst at the Norinchukin Bank (London) where she reviewed borrowers' (institutional clients) balance sheets to determine internal credit ratings.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Portfolio Manager
- Member of the JPMorgan Asset Management Japanese Equities
Richard Aston manages the Chikara Japan Income & Growth Fund, Chikara Japan Alpha Fund and CC Japan Income and Growth Trust plc.
Richard graduated from Cambridge University with an MA in Engineering and a sponsorship from GEC Industrial Controls. He first moved into the finance industry as an Investment Analyst with Sun Life Asset Management (now part of AXA Investment Managers) in 1992.
After various roles within the asset management team, Richard was appointed as a Portfolio Manager on the Japanese desk in 1997. In 2000, he was appointed Head of Japanese equities at Chase Asset Management in London.
Following the merger of Chase Manhattan, Flemings and JPMorgan, Richard became a member of the JPMorgan Asset Management Japanese Equities team based in London and subsequently in Tokyo.
He was promoted to Managing Director in 2008. In December 2010, Richard returned to London and joined Chikara Investments LLP.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Portfolio Manager
Rory Dickson manages the Chikara Asian Evolution Fund and has over 18 years of experience in Asian equities.
Rory joined Arisaig Partners in Singapore as Head of Research in 2005, covering Asia ex Japan. During his time at Arisaig he developed a detailed knowledge of the region's consumer sector across the full market cap spectrum. He managed the Arisaig Asean Fund from 2008 until it was merged into the Arisaig Asia Consumer Fund in 2009. He also sat on the Investment Committee. Rory resigned from Arisaig Partners in 2010 to join Chikara Investments LLP.
From 1997 Rory spent eight years in Hong Kong with Asia Capital management, a private equity boutique. He was responsible for sourcing deals, overseeing investee companies and preparing them for exit, across a wide range of industries.
Rory began his career with Arthur Andersen in Scotland, where he spent time in both the auditing and corporate finance divisions, and qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland in 1995.
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Member of the Investment Team
- Portfolio Manager
- Co - Manager of Several Global Emerging Markets
Tom has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Jurisprudence from Lincoln College, Oxford.
In 2006 he joined as a graduate, and saw the team develop into First State Stewart and then Stewart Investors. He joined the Board of Stewart Investors in 2017 and from late 2019 ran the St Andrews Partners investment team.
From 2010 onwards Tom became Co- Manager of several Global Emerging Markets funds and mandates, and in 2016 he took over as Lead Portfolio Manager from Jonathan Asante for a number of longstanding GEM mandates and funds. He assumed responsibility for all Global Emerging Markets funds and mandates from late 2019 to 2021 prior to other team members becoming lead managers.
He left Stewart Investors in January 2023 and joined Chikara in March 2023.