Our People
James Syme
Senior Fund Manager, JOHCM
Emerging Markets
About James
James has nearly 24 years’ experience leading emerging markets funds, and throughout his career has been responsible for over 14 mandates with peak FUM of over $4bn. He previously headed the emerging market investment teams at SG Asset Management and most recently Baring Asset Management, where he managed numerous strategies with his colleague Paul Wimborne. He has also worked with Henderson Investors as a portfolio manager and with H Clarkson as an analyst. James is a CFA Charterholder and obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Geography) with honours from the University of Cambridge.
Emerging Markets Team
Paul Wimborne
Ada Chan
Recent articles by James
- Emerging markets: Why Korea requires caution despite strong recent performance
- The positive feedback loop we’re expecting to see in emerging market economies
- ‘Emerging markets crisis’? That’s a wildly overstated view, say our experts
- Emerging markets: Which countries are best-suited to these market conditions
- Samir Mehta: The role reversal driving equities in China and India
- Why our emerging markets team believes the asset class could be entering a bull market
- Why our emerging markets team remains ‘zero-weighted’ on the Philippines
- Samir Mehta: A stealth bull market in China means it’s time to revisit Asian equities
- Emerging markets: Why India is at risk of an extended down-cycle
- Samir Mehta: Trump tariffs are unlikely to impact China’s big online retailers
- Samir Mehta: How luxury stock Prada is making a fashionable comeback
- Samir Mehta: Tune in to Tencent Music if you’re looking for a hidden gem
- Emerging markets: What we learned from one of the biggest election years ever
- Emerging markets: China’s property industry is responding to stimulus
- Emerging markets: Brazil and China buoyed by monetary surprises
- Emerging Markets: Where to look for investment opportunities in Asia
- Emerging markets: Why China is unlikely to face a Japanese-style ‘lost decade’ despite its cloudy outlook
- Global market volatility should be positive for stocks in some emerging markets
- Emerging markets: The drivers creating conditions for stronger returns
- Emerging Markets: Mexico and Brazil could benefit from bigger-than-expected rate cuts
- How the biggest election year in global history will affect emerging markets investors
- Not just cricket: Why our emerging markets experts like India
- Emerging markets: UAE’s journey from desert sands to investment oasis
- Emerging markets: Where to hunt for opportunities in China
- Emerging markets: where else to look in Asia while China remains weak
- Emerging Markets: Why Dubai and Abu Dhabi should be more than just a stopover
- Emerging markets: Brazil is set up for a classic virtuous cycle
- Emerging markets: Look past commodity exports to countries with strong domestic demand
- Capital inflows and caipirinhas: Brazil’s sunny outlook
- Emerging markets aren’t so different to us – but you’ve got to pick the right ones
- Emerging Markets: How elections in Thailand and Turkey affect investors
- Emerging Markets: Take care with Asian tech leaders such as Korea and Taiwan
- Emerging Markets: December quarter shows positive signs after a challenging 2022
- How a weaker US dollar could benefit Emerging Markets investors in 2023
- Why advanced economies such as South Korea are classed as emerging markets
- Emerging Markets: Why some investors may benefit more than others as the tide turns
- Signs of improvement for two big factors that drive Emerging Markets
- Beijing is changing policy on Covid and property. Is this bottom for China stocks?
- Thinking about Chinese stocks? Read this country-level analysis first
- Why our Emerging Markets managers aren’t worried about Brazil’s lean to the left
- Why we’re seeing a change in leadership among Emerging Markets countries
- Emerging Markets give us clues to the strength of the global economy
- EM Spotlight: How the interest rate hike cycle will impact Emerging Markets
- Emerging markets: Watch out for secondary effects from Ukraine invasion
- How inflation and rates expectations are affecting Emerging Markets
- Emerging Markets: Why Indonesia is looking good right now
- Emerging markets: Countries likely to weather the storm
- Emerging Markets: It’s time to look south of the border
- Emerging Markets: Is it time to invest in China again?
- Emerging Markets: where to find growth in a volatile world
- Emerging markets look well placed to weather hike cycle
- How Emerging Markets investors should approach China now
- What the Russia-Ukraine crisis means for Emerging Markets investors
- Emerging Markets: Look closely for hidden strengths in India, Mexico
- Emerging Markets: Which countries are burning brightly as energy prices climb
- Short-term cycles are a hallmark of Covid
- What Coronavirus means for emerging markets investors
- Emerging Markets spotlight: Thailand
- Challenging global environment is great for country-level opportunities
- Someday, this war’s going to end
- Trade war trade-offs in EM
- A slowing cycle still draws opportunities
- Retaining confidence in Mexico
- Conditions for EM ex-China looking up
- Parastatal paralysis
- Korea’s corporate revolution
- Buying up in Dubai
- Video update: Positioning for an upturn in emerging markets
- Dovish Fed should boost emerging markets
- Playing the waiting game on China
- EM: enticing valuations suggest a better year ahead
- Quarterly video update: Is value developing in emerging markets?
- Brazil, Mexico: case studies in country selection
- Confronting the Dragon
- Economic brutality: Argentina and Brazil
- USD and oil: EM quarterly video update
- Case studies: the role of currency in valuing EMs
- Macro-driven stock opportunities in Chinese oil
- Pressure mounts on EM bond proxies
- Oil, USD drives fresh EM divergence
- Leadership matters in emerging markets
- Update on Russia
- Valuation dispersion in emerging markets exudes opportunities
- Ramaphosa no sure cure for South Africa
- Nothing can out-run its fundamentals forever
- The Koreas: recent developments are not new risks
- Tencent’s value surpasses Facebook
- India: a coiled spring
- South Korea: opportunities within
- How we assess currency valuations in emerging markets
- India’s credit cycle challenges
- China’s watchdogs weigh in on debt
- Our current views on emerging markets
About Rema
Rema Elias is an Investment Analyst in the Multi-Asset team for Perpetual Asset Management Australia. In this role, she will assist with the portfolio management of smart beta portfolios and the implementation of tactical asset allocation positions.
Rema joined Perpetual Asset Management Australia in July 2014, having previously managed the Performance and Analytics team at BNP Paribas. Prior to this, she was a Senior Performance Analyst at RBC Investor and Treasury Services.
Rema has a Bachelor in Mathematics and Finance.
Multi Asset Strategies Team
Michael O’Dea
Matt Sherwood
David Hudson
Geoff Ryan
Russell Turner
Alan Polley
Rita Bodrina
Ken Phang
Rema Elias
Investment Analyst
Multi Asset Strategies
About Alan
Alan joined Pendal Group in February 2017, with extensive investment management and consulting experience. Prior to joining the company, Alan was Senior Manager, Model Portfolios and Risk Research at TCorp, with responsibility for portfolio management of over $40 billion in defined benefit and insurance multi-asset portfolios, developing TCorp’s strategic and dynamic asset allocation processes covering $80 billion in assets, and liquid alternative manager research.
Alan’s prior experience includes six years at AMP Capital in portfolio management and quantitative analysis roles. His most recent role at AMP Capital was a Portfolio Manager/Analyst within the quantitative equites team running and developing the quantitative process across Australian and Asian equities in long only and long/short form. Alan joined AMP Capital as a Quantitative Risk Analyst within the Investment Risk Team that worked to tailor and develop bespoke risk models and analytics for the various internal investment teams, as well as whole of business investment risk analysis. Alan started his career at Mercer Investment Consulting, where he was an investment consultant to some of the largest institutional clients in Australia providing investment advice as well as being actively involved in strategic and manager research functions.
Alan has a Masters of Quantitative Finance, Bachelor of Business (Finance) and Bachelor of Science (Applied Physics) from the University of Technology, Sydney, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from FINSIA, and is a CFA Charterholder.
Multi Asset Strategies Team
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Michael O’Dea
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Matt Sherwood
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David Hudson
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Geoff Ryan
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Russell Turner
Rema Elias-
Rita Bodrina
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Ken Phang
Funds managed by Alan
Recent articles by Alan
- Alan Polley: A hard landing is looking less and less likely. Here’s the evidence
- Asset allocation: Why you could do with a little more home bias right now
- Alan Polley: Balanced funds are looking more attractive as conditions normalise
- The ‘old normal’ is back. Here’s what it means for asset allocation
- How to hold commodities in a sustainable portfolio (and why you would)
- Economic outlook: what a weakening services sector means for investors
- Alan Polley: What is r* and how it helps investors analyse rates
- Multi-asset: Why it’s time to shift to liquid alternative investments
- Caution warranted after strong market rally
- Strategic asset allocation: what matters in the long run
- It’s time to do an annual portfolio health check. Here’s how
- Asset allocation: what our multi-asset team learned in its latest strategic review
- Alan Polley: Consider foreign currency exposure in international share portfolios
- Why it’s important to consider ESG in asset allocation
- Alan Polley: Time to rethink the role of cash in portfolios
- Alan Polley: Transitory or not, inflation is undergoing long-term structural change
Alan Polley
Senior Sustainable Investments Lead
Multi Asset Strategies
About Rita
Rita joined Pendal Group (formerly BT Investment Management) in April 2022 as a Quantitative Analyst under the Multi-Asset Investments team. In this role, Rita is responsible for quantitative analysis in relation to asset allocation and research to enhance and grow Pendal’s funds. Rita also assists the I&FI team.
Prior to joining Pendal, Rita worked at Commonwealth Bank where she was a Graduate and then a Quantitative Analyst. There she was responsible for the generation of insights for the Banks portfolios, by building mathematical models and performing statistical analysis. Her work also involved conducting product research, financial analysis, and industry research as an input to understanding product positioning.
Rita holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Statistics and a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Monash University. Rita is also currently undertaking studies in the CFA program.
Multi Asset Strategies Team
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Michael O’Dea
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Matt Sherwood
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David Hudson
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Geoff Ryan
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Russell Turner
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Rema Elias
- Alan Polley
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Ken Phang
Rita Bodrina
Investment Analyst
Multi Asset Strategies
Multi Asset Strategies Team
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Michael O’Dea
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Matt Sherwood
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David Hudson
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Geoff Ryan
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Russell Turner
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Rema Elias
- Alan Polley
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Rita Bodrina
Ken Phang
Senior Quantitative Analyst
Multi Asset Strategies
Sales Team
Tim North Ash
Peter Lambos
Laurice Considine
Michael Lagudi
Jeremy Dean
Giovanni Rettura
Scott Bradley
Maria Plati
Tiana Jade Stojanovski
Marcus Garabedian
Emalee Vidulin
Dan Moore
Leila Romanos
Brad Street
Tom Loneragan
Head of Listed & Direct
Alyce Mattman
Key Account Manager VIC, SA
