ABOUT perfORM
perfORM is an award-winning, multijurisdictional operational due diligence service provider with 150+ years of collective ODD experience.
Our clients are global and diverse including: Investment Managers, Allocators (e.g., Family Offices/Multi-Family Offices, Private Banks, Wealth Managers, Funds of Funds, Asset Managers, Pension Funds, Endowments), Service Providers/Vendors (including Virtual Asset Service Providers), and Sports Teams.
perfORM is asset class agnostic and our operational due diligence services extend across hedge funds, private equity and credit, real estate, direct lending, venture capital, digital assets (crypto), and long only.
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
James Newman
Co-Founder & Co-Head, perfORM
+44 (0) 203 746 8971
James is a pioneer in the ODD space, with over 18 years’ experience in creating practices, developing standards and performing ODD. This includes leading an allocator delegation to negotiate fund corporate governance standards with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and pioneering private equity ODD in 2012. James is the former Global Head of ODD at Barclays Wealth, where he was responsible for developing and leading operational risk assessments across the bank’s retail and non-retail investment product offerings. Prior to Barclays, he was the Head of ODD for Liberty Ermitage Group, where he vetoed an investment in Madoff in 2008 preventing significant losses and reputational damage to the firm and its clients.
Contact
Quentin Thom
Co-Founder & Co-Head, perfORM
+44 (0) 203 746 8974
Quentin is a business development professional with a strong background in ODD and an extensive senior network across Investment Managers, Allocators, service providers and trade associations. He is the former EU Head of Global Prime Finance consulting at Deutsche Bank, whereby he was responsible for the delivery of ODD services and content for alternative investment firms, ranging from start-ups to the largest groups in the alternatives industry. Quentin has over 23 years’ experience within financial services, he was UK Managing Director of a leading independent ODD provider for both managers and allocators and also gained extensive consulting experience while working for one of the ‘Big 4’ accountancy firms.
ContactOur Team
Emma Lawson, MCSI, Senior ODD Consultant (UK – London)
Emma has held senior ODD roles since 2008 and prior to that was an investment funds auditor at PwC. She was also COO at a fund of hedge funds advisor for four years, where her responsibilities included application and oversight of the firm’s control framework.
Niklas Downham, CFA, Senior ODD Consultant (Switzerland – Geneva)
Nik is a highly experienced ODD practitioner. He has over 20 years of finance experience covering ODD, credit analysis and risk management at JP Morgan, Bank of England and Fitch Ratings.
Laetitia Gaudino, Senior ODD Consultant (Switzerland – Geneva)
Laetitia is a highly experienced ODD practitioner. In the last 18 years, Laetitia has completed many operational due diligence assessments across all regions and has headed the ODD teams of three large institutional Allocators (Swiss Capital Group, UBS AG and Credit Suisse AG).
Bryan Coutts, IMC, CAIA, Senior ODD Consultant (UK – London)
Bryan has over 20 years of experience in the asset management industry working in a variety of ODD roles at various well-known asset managers. Previous roles were at AXA Investment Managers, Blackrock, Aberdeen Asset Managers (now Standard Life Aberdeen) and Henderson Global Investors (now Janus Henderson investors).
Kristin Melino, MBA, Senior ODD Consultant (USA – NYC)
Kristin is a highly experienced ODD practitioner. Based in NYC, Kristin has over 26 years of relevant experience across ODD, operations and compliance, which includes senior roles at Aksia and UBS.
Chiara Santoro, CAIA, ODD Consultant (UK – London)
Chiara is an experienced ODD practitioner. Based in London, Chiara has 10 years of relevant ODD experience having worked for a well-established Italian Fund of funds, plus a boutique consultancy firm in London providing ODD consultancy work to the largest UK Pension Funds.
Yakir Yosubas, CAMS, ODD Consultant (UK – London)
Yakir has over seven years of experience in enhanced due diligence, asset tracing and recovery, and anti-money laundering in high-risk jurisdictions. Before starting his career in finance, Yakir worked in different intelligence roles on complex arms control projects in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Benjamin Gray, CAIA, ODD Consultant (UK – London)
Benjamin has 2 years prior experience working for an independent depositary. Here, he was responsible for reviewing the operations of private equity, real estate and private debt funds.
Michelle Chan, CPA, Senior ODD Consultant (Hong Kong)
Michelle is a highly experienced ODD practitioner. Based in Hong Kong, Michelle has over 15 years of relevant experience across ODD, operations and compliance, which includes senior roles at Mercer and Sail Advisors.
Jaime Arguello, Investment Process and Due Diligence Consultant (UK – London)
With a career spanning over 35 years as an Allocator, Jaime was, most recently, CIO at Architas, the Multi-Manager unit at AXA Group. Prior senior roles include head of third-party fund selection and head of Fixed Income Asset Management at Pictet.
Benjamin Festa, CAIA, ODD Consultant (UK – London)
Benjamin has 2 years prior experience working for an independent depositary. Here, he was responsible for reviewing the operations of private equity, real estate and private debt funds.
Lewis Kilroe, CAIA, CAIA, Senior ODD Consultant (UAE – Abu Dhabi)
With over a decade as an ODD practitioner, Lewis, based in Abu Dhabi, has completed hundreds of ODD reviews and reports via roles including at Man Group and JP Morgan.
WHY CHOOSE perfORM?
Core Competency
Flexibility & Agility
Reputation & Credibility
High Touch, High Quality
Technology Edge
Thought Leadership
Trade Associations, ODD Awards & Accreditations
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