None
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The Polar Capital Global Financials Team

The senior members of the team joined Polar Capital when it acquired HIM Capital, formerly Hiscox Investment Management, in 2010, to establish the firm’s financials franchise. Nick Brind and George Barrow co-manage the Polar Capital Global Financials Trust, with George managing the Financial Opportunities Fund, and Nick lead manager of the Financial Credit Fund along with Jack Deegan.

Total AUM (as at 29.02.2024)

2010

Established

128

Combined years of experience

6

Team members

None

Nick Brind

Fund Manager
None

George Barrow

Fund Manager
None

Tom Dorner

Fund Manager
None

Jack Deegan

Fund Manager & Analyst
None

Nabeel Siddiqui

Analyst
None

John Yakas

Adviser

Nick Brind

Nick joined Polar Capital following the acquisition of HIM Capital in September 2010, and is co-manager of Polar Capital Global Financial Trust and lead manager of the Polar Capital Financial Credit Fund. He has 29 years’ investment experience across a wide range of asset classes but since 2003 has focused on global financials.

Before joining HIM Capital, Nick worked at New Star Asset Management. While there, he managed the New Star Financial Opportunities Fund, a high-income financials fund investing in the equity and fixed-income securities of European financials companies. Previous to that, he worked at Exeter Asset Management and Capel-Cure Myers.

  • MSc in Finance, London Business SchoolDiploma, CISI (Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment), London
  • 30 years

George Barrow

George joined Polar Capital in September 2010 as an analyst on the Financials Team. He is a co-manager on the Polar Capital Financial Opportunities Fund, and the Polar Capital Global Financials Trust, with Nick Brind.

He has over 10 years’ experience analysing Europe, Asia and emerging markets. Prior to joining Polar Capital, he was an analyst at HIM Capital from 2008 where he completed his IMC.

  • MA (Merit) in International Studies, SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), London
  • IMC. Advanced Certificate in Equity & Fixed Income Investment
  • 16 years

Tom Dorner

Tom joined Polar Capital as a Fund Manager in the Financials team in December 2023. He joined from abrdn where he was a Senior Investment Director in the Developed Markets team and managed the abrdn Europe ex UK Income Equity Fund. He was responsible for analytical coverage of European financials and managed a number of other European investment funds during his nine years there. Prior to this, he was an analyst specialising in the European Insurance sector at Citi and Lehman Brothers in London.

  • BA (Hons) in War Studies, Kings College LondonMA in Philosophy, University of Nottingham
  • Qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young in the Insurance Audit practice
  • 17 years

Jack Deegan

Jack joined as an analyst in October 2017 working closely with Nick Brind on the Income Opportunities Fund. He is a Fund Manager on the Financial Credit Fund. Prior to this, he worked at DBRS Ratings, covering the Swiss market as a lead analyst, as well as UK, Dutch, Japanese and Australian banks. Before DBRS, Jack worked in the Markets Division of the Bank of England for four years, assessing financial institutions with a view to determining access to the Bank's Sterling Monetary Framework (SMF) facilities, and internal counterparty trading limits.

  • BA, Classical Archaeology & Ancient History, Oxford UniversityMA, Islamic Politics, SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), London
  • 14 years

Nabeel Siddiqui

Nabeel joined the Polar Capital Financials team as an analyst in August 2013 working closely with Nick Brind, focusing on the US, Latin America & Australia. 

Prior to this, Nabeel worked as an operations executive at Polar Capital. Nabeel began his career in August 2008 with Habib Bank, where he worked within a variety of functions.

  • BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, Lahore University of Management SciencesMSc in Money and Banking, University of Exeter
  • Passed CFA Level III
  • 13 years

John Yakas

John joined Polar Capital in September 2010 and was Manager of the Polar Capital Asian Financials Fund and co-manager of the Polar Capital Global Financial Trust and Polar Capital Financial Opportunities Fund before stepping back into an advisory role in July 2023.

John had previously worked for HSBC as a banker based in Hong Kong and was the head of Asian research at Fox-Pitt, Kelton before moving to Hiscox Investment Management which later became HIM Capital.

  • BSc in Economics, London School of Economics and Political ScienceMBA, London Business School
  • 36 years
FE Alpha Manager Ratings do not constitute investment advice offered by FE and should not be used as the sole basis for making any investment decision. © 2020 FE. All rights reserved.

Funds managed by the Global Financials Team

i

Financial Credit Fund

Launch date29.12.2023
6Team size

Financial Credit Fund

The objective of the Fund is to achieve an attractive level of income by investing primarily in the senior and subordinated debt securities of financial companies globally.
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Financial Opportunities Fund

Launch date03.05.2011
AUM
6Team size

Financial Opportunities Fund

The Fund aims to provide long-term capital growth by investing primarily in the securities of financial sector companies globally.
i

Polar Capital Global Financials Trust plc

Launch date01.07.2013
AUM
6Team size

Polar Capital Global Financials Trust plc

The Company’s investment objective is to generate for investors a growing dividend income together with capital appreciation.