SPARK Event - Allocator Expectations of Emerging Managers

Shavir Nagarwalla

Senior Associate, External Portfolio Management, CPP Investments

Shavir Nagarwalla is a member of the External Portfolio Management team at CPP Investments and is responsible for emerging manager investment activities in Europe and North America, focusing on seeding and accelerating new hedge funds.

Prior to joining CPP Investments in 2018, he was a senior member of Hilltop Fund Management’s investment team which oversaw investments in hedge funds on behalf of a multi-family office. His previous roles include Manager of Research at Quantum India Equity Fund investing in Indian equities and Investment Manager at Vanderbilt University Office of Investments responsible for Public Market investments. He began his career at the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange in Mumbai.

Shavir holds an MBA in Finance & Strategy from Vanderbilt University and a B.Eng. in Computer Engineering from University of Mumbai.

Michael Pierog

Managing Director, Head of Strategic Alliance Funds Group, Blackstone Alternative Asset Management

Michael Pierog is a Managing Director and Head of the Strategic Alliance Funds (“SAF”) Group, Blackstone’s hedge fund seeding business, for the Hedge Fund Solutions Group. Prior to joining the SAF Group, Mr. Pierog was head of Credit Strategies in BAAM, where he was involved in hedge fund manager evaluation, selection, and monitoring as well as structured and corporate credit investments. Before joining Blackstone in 2013, Mr. Pierog was a Vice President in the Distressed and Special Situations group at Barclays Capital. Prior to working at Barclays, Mr. Pierog was an associate at Davidson Kempner Capital Management.

Erik Serrano Berntsen

CEO, Stable Asset Management

Erik Serrano Berntsen is the CEO of Stable, whose mission is to back the Founders of tomorrow’s leading investment firms. With offices in New York and London, Stable’s track record of success is down to working with inspiring investors and business-builders. Prior to Stable, Erik was at Bain & Co., where he worked in the Private Equity Group (PEG) and across corporate clients in asset management. A believer in education as a tool for change, Erik supports initiatives such as the LSE Alternative Investment Conference, the largest student conference for alternatives globally, and the charity Grit. Amongst other initiatives, Stable is a supporter of 100 Women in Finance and Girls Who Invest, and is a Founding Partner of #100blackinterns. Erik holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Keble College, University of Oxford and a Masters of Business Administration with honours and a Concentration in Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Brian Snider

Managing Director, Strategic Alliance Funds Group, Blackstone Alternative Asset Management

Brian Snider is a Managing Director in the Hedge Fund Solutions Group, where he is a member of the Strategic Alliance Funds (“SAF”) Group, Blackstone’s hedge fund seeding business.

Before joining Blackstone in 2019, Mr. Snider was a Portfolio Manager at General Motors Asset Management, where he focused on manager evaluation, selection, and monitoring across all hedge fund strategies on behalf of the pension fund. Before General Motors, he was a Senior Vice President at Hennessee Group LLC, an advisory firm for investors in hedge funds.

Mr. Snider received a BSBA in Management with a concentration in Finance from Bucknell University. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.