Thomas Schlebusch Email & Phone Number

City Of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Responsible for leading the application of machine learning and AI technologies beyond traditional asset management, focusing on driving innovation and strategic growth. Known for guiding both technological and business transformations, leveraging data science and data engineering to help organizations across various sectors become data-driven and make informed decisions, while still maintaining expertise in supporting asset management clients.• Founded Arkane Services Pty Ltd and spearheaded the strategic direction of Arkane, leveraging advanced Machine Learning and AI expertise initially developed in Asset Management to expand into diverse industries.• Marketed Arkane’s capabilities in AI and data solutions, successfully positioning the company to serve a broad client base, including high-impact projects such as the Large Language Model (LLM) work for www.WhoOwnsWho.com• Coordinated a team of data scientists and engineers, driving the development and implementation of data engineering and data science solutions, to help organizations adhere to data-focused procedures.• Directed cross-industry service provision, applying investment industry innovations to other sectors, thus broadening impact and applicability of developed technologies.• Managed client relationships and project deliveries for asset management companies, achieving improvements in strategy formulation and execution.• Successfully facilitated improvements in operational efficiency, decision-making processes, and overall investment performance through data-driven insights and innovative approaches.

Abuja, Nigeria

Provided strategic leadership, overseeing improvements in fund performance and risk management processes. Guided appointed investment team that transitioned from bottom quartile rankings to top quartile performance within four years.• Guided overhaul of investment strategies, reversing previous underperformance and achieving top quartile rankings in all four fund categories by 2022.• Collaborated closely with Chief Investment Officer, board and management to implement comprehensive investment and risk management framework.• Played pivotal role in stabilizing and enhancing fund performance through targeted oversight and strategic guidance of investment team.• Contributed to corporate milestones, notably during Actis' successful divestiture of their stake in Sigma Pensions to Access Bank in late 2022. https://www.sigmapensions.com/index.php/about-us/

Stellenbosch

Led development of fintech startup focused on leveraging machine learning and AI to innovate financial market strategies. Orchestrated creation of robust platform for simulating and testing diverse investment strategies, contributing to significant asset management and technological advancements.• Co-founded NMRQL Research with vision to harness open-source technology and machine learning to detect market patterns and mispricing, effectively predicting market movements.• Developed versatile investment simulation platform that facilitated unbiased strategy testing over time, using virtual analysts optimize trading decisions.• Managed peak fund volume of approximately R320M, across three distinct mandates, demonstrating effective asset and investment strategy management.• Achieved success in risk management, including preemptive divestment from Steinhoff and gaining 8% fund increase during Brexit turmoil; also garnered Raging Bull award for exceptional risk-adjusted performance in segregated fund.

Cape Town, London, Ny, Sydney

Oversaw management and strategic development of global asset portfolios. This leadership position entailed directing substantial asset allocations across various mandates, significantly advancing direct management capabilities, and enhancing global investment presence and performance benchmarks.• Managed USD 6.8B in assets, diversifying across global equity, balanced mandates, bond funds, property, liquidity, and hedge fund investment mandates.• Facilitated transition from multi-managed to direct management model, enhancing control over offshore assets and improving alignment with goals.• Initiated and developed new global bond fund operations in Edinburgh, setting up UCITS-compliant mandates suitable for both South African and UK clients, fostering growth and compliance with international standards.• Implemented innovative risk management strategies to resolve potential conflicts of interest during transitional phases, including establishment of risk-balancing portfolio managed to maintain performance benchmarks.

City Of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Managed substantial hedge fund portfolios and driving strategic restructuring. Oversaw significant fund transformations and enhanced operational efficiencies while navigating complex regulatory environments and market shifts.• Handled ZAR 4B in standard fund-of-funds and ZAR 350M in incubator fund, steering restructure of $800M global hedge of funds fund to optimize fees.• Conducted rigorous due diligence on over 300 global managers, leading to strategic termination of approximately 90% of these managers to streamline operations and manage illiquid positions effectively.• Achieved multiple accolades, including best Fund of Funds at Hedge News Africa awards for Incubator Fund in 2009 and two additional awards in 2010 for Fixed Income Fund and Incubator Fund, affirming leadership in fund management.

City Of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Sold my company True North Capital to Sanlam, and used the shell to set up “Hedgehog Capital”. Our strategy was to seed and incubate new alternative investment managers as well as provide the supervision, licensing, infrastructure provision and ongoing monitoring of these HF managers.- Our team secured ZAR 300 million seed capital to be used for seeding manager. - Created an incubation fund through which we initially seeded 5 managers with the number growing to roughly 10 over the next year. Two years later this fund would go on to win the best 3yr performance award at the Hedge News Africa event for the best Hedge Fund of Funds in its category. - Drove profitability from day one and beat the stated benchmark to the seed provider with a healthy margin.

City Of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Started my own advisory business and to start up SA’s first independently run fixed income hedge fund (HF) in SA. At the time, HF regulation was in its infancy and new regulation paved the way for managers to become registered with the SA Financial Services Board as HF managers under the Class IIa license. - Built up a portfolio of clients of over R60million- Awarded one of the first Hedge Fund manager licenses by the FSB hedge fund licenses in 2005- Sold True North Capital to Sanlam Investment Management where it became the foundation for the hedge funds business I was about to manage for Sanlam.

City Of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Member newly established absolute return/inflation linked portfolio team that launched new portfolios strategy division. This was driven partly due to the SA Treasury starting an issuance program of inflation linked assets, that could now be used to hedge investors inflation risk. - My responsibilities focused on the management and the research of government and inflation linked bonds, credit, and inflation link portions of these new portfolios. - Key member in investment team considering interest rate derivatives. - The management of the equity components of the portfolio was outsourced to our dedicated equity team. - Part of team that launched the first absolute return fund in SA with around ZAR 5 million.- Pivotal in growing the fund to nearly ZAR 5 billion under management in both retail and institutional mandates. - The Flagship fund, the Sanlam Inflation linked fund ended top quartile throughout my tenure in the team.

Cape Town

I joined Sanlam Investment Management (part of the Sanlam Group, second largest Life Insurer in SA) in 1999. My first role was as a quantitative analyst in the product development team after which I soon moved to the Fixed Interest team. As Quant Analysts I was responsible for bond pricing, risk management and asset liability management for the Sanlam policy holders’ portfolios, as well as ad hoc analysis requested by the portfolio managers. We reported to the Sanlam Chief Actuary’s asset liability committee on these portfolios. Highlights included the management (under Supervision) of a ZAR 400 million Bond Index tracking fund with almost no tracking error. Additionally, I also co-managed a ZAR 9 billion asset liability portfolio where we had to match / hedge the liabilities of the Sanlam-Life policy holders’ portfolios with suitable fixed interest assets, including bonds, swaps, and credit.)

Johannesburg Metropolitan Area

Team member involved in all aspects of packaging commodity sourcing: from negotiating price and logistics costs, to physical delivery and SAP implementation. Part of a team importing over 600million glass beer bottles from Saudi Arabia to South Africa, during a shortage of Glass in 1999.

Durban

Responsibilities included waste management and the design of, and supervision of construction, of several landfill sites across South Africa. - Highlights: included the involvement on the design and construction of some of SA’s largest class H:h landfill sites (the very toxic “stuff”), - Wrote an internally used program to predict the settlement of landfills depending on the layering and waste materials used. This was hugely beneficial in the planning and construction of municipal landfills.

Katse Dam, Leshoto

Part of a team of engineers responsible for supervision of the construction of Africa’s largest dam, the Katse Dam. We lived on site and worked both day and night shifts. My role consisted mostly of supervision of construction work, ensuring adherence to plans and quality control.· Highlights: Gained experience in explosives and blasting technology & worked with great team of engineers from all over the world.

Grade 8- Matric

B.Eng, Civil Engineering

M.Eng, Geotechnical Engineering

Thesis detailed " The liquifaction potential of the Koeberg (nuclear powers station) sands"

Master Of Business Administration - Mba, Investments And Operations Research

Executive Program, Exponential Technology