Alternative Investment Strategies
ManagementSurfside Capital LLC has brought together an experienced management and work team. Our Board of Directors is headed by Mr. Clerin who has over 35 years of financial and advisory experience in the international markets. Our daily operations are headed by Mr. Ripamonti, with over 10 years of trading and investing experience. The Surfside Capital team includes traders, investment research, back office and administrative personnel.
SERGIO M. RIPAMONTI
President & Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Ripamonti will be the President and Chief Investment Officer of the General Partner and will act as its Portfolio Manager. Previously, Mr. Ripamonti was the Managing Director of HWF Capital where he worked form 1998 to 2001. While at HWF Capital Mr. Ripamonti managed a Global Macro Fund with over US$125MM in assets using similar strategies described in this memorandum. Fund gross performance was 21% and 7% for 1999 and 2000 respectively, while 2001 YTD return until his departure in August was 9%.
Prior to HWF Capital, Mr. Ripamonti was the Senior Emerging Markets Eurobond Trader at Goldman Sachs in New York. He handled client flow business as well as the firm’s proprietary corporate bond positions. Mr. Ripamonti was recruited by Santander Investment in 1995 to service the needs of its investment banking group in Latin America. Mr. Ripamonti worked at Nabisco Inc., from 1992-1995 as internal consultant providing strategic consulting services for the reacquisition of foreign companies initially sold during the LBO. Previously Mr. Ripamonti spent two years as an accountant at Coopers and Lybrand in New York, where he obtained his CPA and handled clients related to the financial/banking industry.
Mr. Ripamonti received an M.B.A from Columbia University in 1996 with Beta Gamma Sigma honors. He received a B.S. in Accounting and a B.A. in Economics with Cum Laude from the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania in 1990. He also earned the International Baccalaureate Diploma in 1986, and received the “Dux Medal” for academic excellence and the “Division One” Award from Cambridge University in London in 1984.
President & Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Ripamonti will be the President and Chief Investment Officer of the General Partner and will act as its Portfolio Manager. Previously, Mr. Ripamonti was the Managing Director of HWF Capital where he worked form 1998 to 2001. While at HWF Capital Mr. Ripamonti managed a Global Macro Fund with over US$125MM in assets using similar strategies described in this memorandum. Fund gross performance was 21% and 7% for 1999 and 2000 respectively, while 2001 YTD return until his departure in August was 9%. Prior to HWF Capital, Mr. Ripamonti was the Senior Emerging Markets Eurobond Trader at Goldman Sachs in New York. He handled client flow business as well as the firm’s proprietary corporate bond positions. Mr. Ripamonti was recruited by Santander Investment in 1995 to service the needs of its investment banking group in Latin America. Mr. Ripamonti worked at Nabisco Inc., from 1992-1995 as internal consultant providing strategic consulting services for the reacquisition of foreign companies initially sold during the LBO. Previously Mr. Ripamonti spent two years as an accountant at Coopers and Lybrand in New York, where he obtained his CPA and handled clients related to the financial/banking industry.
Mr. Ripamonti received an M.B.A from Columbia University in 1996 with Beta Gamma Sigma honors. He received a B.S. in Accounting and a B.A. in Economics with Cum Laude from the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania in 1990. He also earned the International Baccalaureate Diploma in 1986, and received the “Dux Medal” for academic excellence and the “Division One” Award from Cambridge University in London in 1984.
MICHEL CLERIN
Chairman of the Board
Mr. Clerin has significant experience in the SME sector, in Investment and Commercial Banking, Public Sector Advisor in the field of FDI, privatization, specialist in raising equity and debt and setting up Guarantee Funds, Venture Capital and Private Equity funds to be managed on a hands-on basis. Mr. Clerin has been the Investment banking Advisor for Ministry of Economics and Foreign Trade of Egypt since 2001, playing a crucial role in the privatization implementation project of the Egyptian government. Previously, Mr. Clerin was the Director of SME Consulting Division of Aufisco S.A. in Brussels where he worked from 1999 to 2001. His duties included all aspects of financial management and control, supervision of the accounting department, budgeting and forecasting and control as well as strategic planning and search for new equity and subordinated debt.
Prior to working with Aufisco, Mr. Clerin was the Private Sector Capacity Building Chief of Party for the European Commission in Morocco. Based in Casablanca (Morocco) on a 3 years contract consisting in the strategic planning and hands on management of a 150 million Euros and included technical assistance to privatization, the set up of 6 SME’s venture capital funds and a SME Loan Guarantee Fund, the restructuring of two 20 millions Euros credit lines and the search for new equity funding (I.F.C, World Bank, E.I.B., Corporate Sector). From 1992 to 1996, Mr. Clerin was the Financial Director of International Division of Floridienne S.A. for the regions of HK, China, Vietnam and India.
Prior to Floridienne, Mr. Clerin was the Managing Directors for Bankers Trust’s Oil, energy and mining division in London for 2 years. Mr. Clerin was responsible for privatizations, B.O.T projects, project finance, M&A and capital market business development. He also managed a 3 billion US$equity and loan portfolio primarily invested in quoted and unquoted energy companies worldwide. Prior to Bankers Trust, Mr. Clerin was the Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Investment Banking and Corporate Finance Division in London from 1987 to 1991. Earlier in his professional career, Mr. Clerin was a the Deputy General Manager in charge of the Corporate Finance department at Bank of America in London and Kuwait (1970-78) and the Financial and Investment Director of Gulf Consultants Ltd in Kuwait, Johannesburg and Bombay (1978-86).
Mr. Clerin received a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Louvain in Belgium in 1969. He also received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1970 in Finance and International Economics. Mr. Clerin is divorced and has 2 children.
Chairman of the Board
Mr. Clerin has significant experience in the SME sector, in Investment and Commercial Banking, Public Sector Advisor in the field of FDI, privatization, specialist in raising equity and debt and setting up Guarantee Funds, Venture Capital and Private Equity funds to be managed on a hands-on basis. Mr. Clerin has been the Investment banking Advisor for Ministry of Economics and Foreign Trade of Egypt since 2001, playing a crucial role in the privatization implementation project of the Egyptian government. Previously, Mr. Clerin was the Director of SME Consulting Division of Aufisco S.A. in Brussels where he worked from 1999 to 2001. His duties included all aspects of financial management and control, supervision of the accounting department, budgeting and forecasting and control as well as strategic planning and search for new equity and subordinated debt.Prior to working with Aufisco, Mr. Clerin was the Private Sector Capacity Building Chief of Party for the European Commission in Morocco. Based in Casablanca (Morocco) on a 3 years contract consisting in the strategic planning and hands on management of a 150 million Euros and included technical assistance to privatization, the set up of 6 SME’s venture capital funds and a SME Loan Guarantee Fund, the restructuring of two 20 millions Euros credit lines and the search for new equity funding (I.F.C, World Bank, E.I.B., Corporate Sector). From 1992 to 1996, Mr. Clerin was the Financial Director of International Division of Floridienne S.A. for the regions of HK, China, Vietnam and India.
Prior to Floridienne, Mr. Clerin was the Managing Directors for Bankers Trust’s Oil, energy and mining division in London for 2 years. Mr. Clerin was responsible for privatizations, B.O.T projects, project finance, M&A and capital market business development. He also managed a 3 billion US$equity and loan portfolio primarily invested in quoted and unquoted energy companies worldwide. Prior to Bankers Trust, Mr. Clerin was the Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Investment Banking and Corporate Finance Division in London from 1987 to 1991. Earlier in his professional career, Mr. Clerin was a the Deputy General Manager in charge of the Corporate Finance department at Bank of America in London and Kuwait (1970-78) and the Financial and Investment Director of Gulf Consultants Ltd in Kuwait, Johannesburg and Bombay (1978-86).
Mr. Clerin received a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Louvain in Belgium in 1969. He also received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1970 in Finance and International Economics. Mr. Clerin is divorced and has 2 children.
