MENU
 

PRE TAX NTA |$3.76

Value as at close of business on 17 January 2024

Meet the 2024 Conference Managers

Following a global search, the Conference Fund Manager Selection Committee is pleased to share the managers for 2024. This year's conference fund managers represent a diverse range of investment expertise, with specialists in tech, emerging markets, commodities and more.

Rikki Bannan
Executive Director & Portfolio Manager
IFM Investors (AUS)

Rikki Bannan is an Executive Director at IFM Investors, a global fund manager with over $215bn of funds under management. As a Portfolio Manager in IFM Investors’ Small Caps fund, Rikki is responsible for investment decisions across the consumer discretionary, health care and technology sectors, as well as being actively involved in fund raising and investor engagement for the Small Cap product.

Rikki is returning to Sohn Hearts & Minds for her second year - you can view her 2023 stock pitch on Telix Pharmaceuticals (TLX.AX) here.

Jeremy Bond
Founder and Chief Investment Officer
Terra Capital (AUS)

Jeremy founded Terra Capital in 2010 launching the long only Terra Capital Global Natural Resources Fund. The fund has delivered strong performance resulting in Terra Capital becoming one of Australia’s longest running open ended global resources fund. Jeremy formally worked at RAB Capital’s Special Situations Fund, a US $2.5B long/short strategy focused on mining and energy. The fund was rated the “Best Energy and Natural Resource Fund” by Hedge Fund Review and ranked No.1 in Barron’s Hedge Fund 50 Global rankings in 2007, during Jeremy’s tenure. 

Jeremy is returning to Sohn Hearts & Minds for his second year - you can view his 2023 stock pitch on NexGen Energy (NXE.TO) here.

Sumit Gautam
Founder and Portfolio Manager
Scalar Gauge (USA)

Sumit Gautam founded Scalar Gauge in 2017 and has been the Portfolio Manager for the fund for over 7 years. Prior to Scalar, he was a Partner at Hirzel Capital, a ~$1.3B AUM long/short equity hedge fund based in Dallas, where he focused on investments in the technology sector for 4 years. He also has significant private equity investing experience, having worked as a Vice President at Audax Private Equity Fund, which is a $20B+ AUM PE fund based in Boston. Prior to Audax, he was a Senior Manager / Principal at Bain & Company’s private equity group. In his 4 years at Bain, he worked with some of the largest PE funds in primary due diligence for LBO targets.

Learn more with some recent media coverage:

Samir Mehta
Fund Manager
JO Hambro Capital Management (SG)

Samir is a new manager for HM1 and has over 34 years’ industry experience and joined JOHCM in May 2011. Prior to joining JOHCM, he was a Partner and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at a firm specialising in Asian equities – Silver Metis Capital Management Pte Ltd. Samir was previously at Lloyd George Management where he worked as CIO. Prior to joining LGM, he worked at Peregrine Securities and ANZ Grindlays Bank for close to eight years as an Analyst specialising in India. Samir is a CFA Charterholder and holds a BCom from Bombay University.

Alex Pollak
Chief Investment Officer
Loftus Peak (AUS)

Alex is a new manager for HM1 with 25 years’ experience in disruptive business models gained during a career with Macquarie Bank, Alex heads one of the best-performing teams in global investment management in Australia. He has a deep understanding of the mechanisms through which disruption changes business models and the impact it has on company valuation, having identified and invested in AI in 2016 through Nvidia, among many other companies which have generated strong portfolio returns over the ten years the fund has operated.

Learn more with some recent media coverage:

Vihari Ross
Portfolio Manager
Antipodes Partners (AUS)

Vihari Ross is a new manager for HM1 with over two decades of experience in investment management working across large institutions and boutique investment managers. She is currently a Portfolio Manager with global coverage at Antipodes Partners, a specialist equities firm managing over $10 billion on behalf of Australian and international investors.

Prior to joining Antipodes, Vihari was a senior investment team member at Magellan Financial Group where she spent over 15 years. She was head of research, responsible for the management of the 30-person global research team prior to her departure, and during this time, she designed the Magellan Core Global strategy and was the Fund’s portfolio manager. Earlier in her career at Magellan, Vihari was sector head of franchises (consumer) and covered the financial and consumer sectors as an investment analyst.

 

Jordan Katz
Partner and Senior Investment Team Member
Advent Global Opportunities (USA)

Jordan, a new manager for HM1, is a Partner and Senior Investment Team Member of Advent Global Opportunities (AGO). Jordan joined AGO in 2015 at the inception of the fund and oversees AGO’s investments in a number of key sectors including aerospace and fintech.  

Prior to Advent Global Opportunities, Jordan was a member of the investment team of Belfer Management, a single-family office based out of New York. From 2011-2013, Jordan was an Associate at Crestview Partners, a middle-market private equity firm.

Beeneet Kothari
Managing Partner & Principal Portfolio Manager
Tekne Capital Mgmt (USA)

Beeneet Kothari has previously served as a HM1 fund manager, most recently in 2021. He is the Managing Partner and Principal Portfolio Manager of Tekne Capital Management, a global fund manager he founded in 2012. Prior, he was a Managing Director at PointState Capital and Duquesne Capital, a global macro hedge fund founded by Stan Druckenmiller. Tekne Capital Management is a global Technology investment manager based in New York with a footprint across several global Emerging Markets. Tekne manages over USD$1 billion, and their investment focus is exclusively on tech-related businesses with a heavy tilt towards non-US/emerging markets in a concentrated portfolio with multi-year holding periods.

Their flagship fund remains highly focused on owning a concentrated and diversified group of the leading non-US technology companies globally, where growth remains robust while public market valuations remain depressed.

Chris Kourtis
Director & Portfolio Manager
Ellerston Capital (AUS)

Chris Kourtis is a very well-known “stock picker” and is returning to Sohn Hearts & Minds for his second appearance (you can watch his 2023 stock pitch on ResMed here)Responsible for leading Ellerston’s investment team, Chris has served as a Director and Portfolio Manager  of Ellerston since 2005 and has over  39 years investment experience.

Prior to joining Ellerston, Chris co-founded the Melbourne based Investment Management firm Portfolio Partners in 1994, where he held various positions including Director and Senior Investment Manager and was formerly the Head of Equities until January 2003. It was from that point that he gave up his role to conceive and focus on managing the highly successful Elite Opportunities Concentrated Australian Shares Fund

Learn more with some recent media coverage:

Ricky Sandler
Founder, CEO and CIO
Eminence Capital (USA)

Ricky founded Eminence Capital in 1999. Today, Eminence is a ~$7.8B global investment management organisation investing client capital across global financial markets. As CEO and CIO of Eminence, Ricky is responsible for setting the firm’s strategic direction as well as directly managing its 20+ person investment team and diversified investment portfolio.

Ricky has been very supportive of Hearts & Minds and is presenting for his third consecutive year. You can watch his 2023 stock pitch on Ashland (ASH.NYSE) here.

Learn more with some recent media coverage:

Fleur Wright
Portfolio Manager & Analyst
Northcape Capital (AUS)

Fleur is another new manager for HM1 and has over 25 years investment experience and is a Portfolio Manager and Analyst for the Global Equity strategy. Fleur joined Northcape in 2018. Before joining Northcape, Fleur was a Managing Director at UBS in Sydney.

Having joined UBS in London in 2004 as a European Special Situations Analyst she progressed to Pan European Equity Sales and Account Manager for a range of fundamental hedge funds and long only institutions before returning to Australia with UBS in 2011. Initially, Fleur established the business of European and US Equity Sales to investors based in Asia, then took over Global Sales to Australian based investors before eventually running the wider APAC Global Equity sales team.

Learn more with some recent media coverage:

 

HM1 invests 35% of its portfolio in the highest conviction investment recommendations presented by local and global fund managers at the annual Sohn Hearts & Minds Conference. These conference picks are then held in the portfolio for the following twelve months. 

Recent Posts

Read the latest insights
A curated list of HM1 investor updates, portfolio news and other interesting articles.
Read More
Resources fundies reveal top picks ahead of ‘stellar’ 2025
Some of Australia’s biggest resources funds are gearing up for a bumper start to the new year.
Qiao Ma: finding killer companies, surviving the GFC & why founders win
Qiao Ma, Portfolio Manager of the Munro Partners joins Owen Rask on The Australian Investors Podcast.
10 top fund managers reveal their long-term stock picks
With valuations stretched and geopolitical tensions high, the new year offers plenty of potholes for investors. 
Rikki Bannan – Don’t get caught up in momentum
Conference Fund Manager Rikki Bannan, Executive Director at IFM Investors, joins Equity Mates to discuss her standout 2023 stock pick, Telix, and explore what opportunities lie ahead.
 

Resources fundies reveal top picks ahead of ‘stellar’ 2025

Some of Australia’s biggest resources funds are gearing up for a bumper start to the new year.

Read More
January 6th, 2025
 

Qiao Ma: finding killer companies, surviving the GFC & why founders win

Qiao Ma, Portfolio Manager of the Munro Partners joins Owen Rask on The Australian Investors Podcast.

Read More
January 6th, 2025
 

10 top fund managers reveal their long-term stock picks

With valuations stretched and geopolitical tensions high, the new year offers plenty of potholes for investors. 

Read More
December 28th, 2024
 

Rikki Bannan – Don’t get caught up in momentum

Conference Fund Manager Rikki Bannan, Executive Director at IFM Investors, joins Equity Mates to discuss her standout 2023 stock pick, Telix, and explore what opportunities lie ahead.

Read More
December 19th, 2024
 

Professor Jane Butler: Sparking Hope for Spinal Cord Injuries

In this episode of the Hearts & Minds Podcast, we sit down with Professor Jane Butler to discuss her groundbreaking research into spinal cord injuries.

Read More
December 10th, 2024
 

Nick Griffin – The Nvidia story is not over

Nick Griffin, Founding Partner & Chief Investment Officer of Munro Partners joined the Equity Mates podcast in their Summer Series.

Read More
December 9th, 2024
 

HM1 CEO Succession

Hearts and Minds Investments Limited advises that Paul Rayson intends to retire from the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective 19 February 2025.

Read More
December 5th, 2024
 

Trump unifies top investors in decade-long bullish outlook for US

Nick Moakes, CIO of the $72 billion Wellcome Trust, told the conference that too many investors were banking on a return to the ultra-low interest rates that prevailed over the past decade.

Read More
November 20th, 2024
 

These rock-star stock picks could get markets talking next year

Eleven rock stars of international and local funds management took to stage – each tasked with picking and pitching one company whose shares will take off over the next year.

Read More
November 18th, 2024
 

Is anyone brave or stupid enough to bet against America?

Stock pickers have been punished for betting against the US. The choice between consensus and contrarianism on American exceptionalism is now harder than ever.

Read More
November 17th, 2024
 

Sohn: NYSE-listed Estee Lauder’s Northcape Capital pick

Northcape Capital’s Fleur Wright this gives a rare opportunity to buy a high quality company at an attractive price.

Read More
November 15th, 2024
 

Sohn ASX stock pick: Ellerston Capital’s Chris Kourtis backs Perpetual

Chris Kourtis has put his biggest bet on embattled Perpetual – picking one of the most hated stocks on the ASX – that he believes will soon be the ‘cheapest listed asset manager of scale in the universe’.

Read More
November 15th, 2024
 

AI start-ups a threat to incumbent big companies

Paul Bassat predicts emerging artificial intelligence companies will disrupt sectors and overtake established incumbent companies just as rapidly as the seismic shifts that took place when the internet emerged in the mid-1990s.

Read More
November 15th, 2024
 

Howard Marks and Sohn’s big stars reveal seven rules for investing

Among the stock picks and stunts at the Sohh Hearts & Minds event, Howard Marks and Nick Moakes provided investors with long-term rules for playing markets.

Read More
November 15th, 2024
 

Sohn investors position for bullish but bumpy Trump ride

Australia and the rest of the world must adjust to a new Trump presidency that will deliver an expected bull market but also disruption, with the leader in waiting prepared to “create pain” to get his way.

Read More
November 15th, 2024
 

Sohn stock picker experts name best shares to invest in for year ahead

‍Don’t overlook down and out silver miners, legacy skincare brands ready for a revival and a big financial company suffering from a severe case of shareholder wealth destruction.

Read More
November 15th, 2024
 

Eleven stock tips from Sohn to get you through 2025

“There’s no finer place for the finance festival than in the festival city,” said Matthew Grounds. He, along with fellow Barrenjoey co-executive chairman Guy Fowler and investor Gary Weiss, is one of Sohn’s driving forces.

Read More
November 15th, 2024
 

Sohn Hearts & Minds Investments fund targets $1.5bn valuation

‍Hearts & Minds Investments chair Chris Cuffe is hoping for HM1 to grow to more than $1.5bn in the next five years.

Read More
November 14th, 2024
 

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz believes bitcoin will hit $US100k

Bitcoin’s bounce to record highs in recent days is only the beginning of a fresh surge higher for cryptocurrency, says US billionaire Mike Novogratz.

Read More
November 9th, 2024
 

Why this New York hedge fund manager sees opportunity in European stocks

Influential New York-hedge fund manager Ricky Sandler will turn to Europe for his next stock pick.

Read More
November 6th, 2024
 

Antipodes’ Ross says short-term wealth hinges on US election

The portfolio manager says defensive stocks pose a bigger risk than the magnificent seven for investors that are overexposed to the American sharemarket.

Read More
November 5th, 2024
 

Concentration risk key for investors: Antipodes Partners’ Vihari Ross

The concentration risk in global stock indexes that has built up during the strong rise over the past year must now be a key consideration for global investors, according to Vihari Ross.

Read More
November 5th, 2024
 

The fundie betting big on China – with help from AI

Mr Mehta is sticking to his well-worn strategy: he’s hunting for companies across Asia that aren’t battling intense competition and have management teams focused on costs, cash generation and high payouts to shareholders.

Read More
November 5th, 2024
 

Why this fundie wants you to ‘wince’ at his stock picks

When fund managers come to pitch their favourite stock at the annual Sohn Hearts & Minds conference, there are two ways they can go: they can play it safe, or they can take a risk and shock the room.

 

Read More
October 29th, 2024
 

IFM Investors’ Rikki Bannan backs small cap investments to rebound after mixed performance

IFM Investors executive director Rikki Bannan believes this year could be a good one to invest in some select small cap stocks.

Read More
October 27th, 2024
 

Meet the 2024 Conference Managers

Following a global search, the Conference Fund Manager Selection Committee is pleased to share eleven new managers for 2024. 

Read More
October 22nd, 2024
 

Chris Kourtis is on a winning streak. Here’s his next ASX pick

Chris Kourtis of Ellerston Capital thinks he’s found another winner and thinks it’s the last chance to have a bite at the cherry before the strategy plays out.

Read More
October 21st, 2024
 

Why Ellerston Capital’s Chris Kourtis plans to back a ‘hated’ stock

Chris Kourtis of Ellerston Capital plans to tip one of the “most hated” stocks in Australia when he presents at the 2024 Sohn Hearts & Minds Conference.

Read More
October 21st, 2024
 

Alex Pollak champions rewards of disruptive investment

Alex Pollak’s funds management company Loftus Peak rode the Nvidia wave and he is now looking at more opportunities in disruptive industry stocks.

Read More
October 14th, 2024
 

Buy Hold Sell: 2 Hall of Fame investors analyse each other's best ideas

Hall of Fame alumni Chris Kourtis of Ellerston Capital joins Livewire to analyse high conviction stock picks.

Read More
October 11th, 2024