Current Responsibility
James is responsible for International Private Equity and Africa investments, a division of the Alternative Investments boutique of Old Mutual Investment Group of South Africa (OMIGSA). He heads a team of three.
James’ key responsibilities include fund structuring, asset allocation and asset selection for a number of portfolios. Investment activities cover a broad spectrum of listed stocks, real assets and foreign currency denominated private equity.
James heads a global private equity fund of funds programme focussed on US, Europe and Emerging Markets.
He also manages a number of venture capital private equity interests focussed on the UK, Israel and East US.
He is a member of various offshore private equity funds’ Advisory Boards and a director of Dublin listed Omigsa Alternative Assets Plc.
In Africa he manages for Old Mutual South Africa a Sub-Sahara listed equity portfolio. Over the 9 years to Dec 2011 this fund has produced a 34% compound annual USD return.
Previous Experience
Following a spell as a researcher at the Unit for Futures Research, (Stellenbosch University), James started his investments career in May1978 as an Investment Analyst (Industrials) at the investment division of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company of South Africa. This division became Old Mutual Asset Managers and later Old Mutual Investment Group SA Ltd.
In 1983, he was appointed Senior Investment Analyst, responsible for the valuation of quoted and unquoted equities, the co-ordination of equity research, broker liaison and broker research evaluation.
In 1985 he was promoted to portfolio manager responsible for Old Mutual’s portfolios in Kenya, Malawi, and unlisted assets in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
In addition to portfolio management, he shared executive responsibility for the establishment - and acquisition/sale - of a number of Old Mutual associated asset management companies in Africa and held board positions at Old Mutual Kenya, OMAM Zimbabwe, OMAM Namibia, OMAM Botswana and OM Properties Namibia.
Until recently he also had executive responsibility for Old Mutual Malawi’s investment and asset management operations, managing life and third party pension funds. In that function he held directorships of MSE listed Press Corporation, National Bank of Malawi, Malawi Property Investment Company, Packaging Industries Malawi and Telecom Networks Malawi as well as unlisted companies Malawi Telecom, , Capital Developments and New Capital Properties. He was also a member of a number of Audit Committees of these listed companies. He is still a board member of First Discount House Financial Holdings.
Qualifications
BEcon (Masters)