Our People

James Syme
Senior Fund Manager, JOHCMAbout 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
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

Melissa Ridley
Key Account Manager NSW NSW
Agnieszka Cochrane
Head of Responsible InvestmentIncome & Fixed Interest Team
