Ikos split unsettles investors
ELENA Ambrosiadou, one of the best-paid and most successful female hedge fund managers in the world, will be going solo after husband Martin Coward announced a shock split from his position at Ikos yesterday.
Coward, the chairman, chief financial officer and a former Goldman Sachs employee, formed the other half of the power couple who founded Ikos in 1992, one of the first hedge funds set up in London.
Yesterday he declared his intentions to Albourne Partners, an online community of people in the hedge fund industry.
He said: “I have decided to leave Ikos to recreate my vision of a research focused team with talented, experienced professionals. I plan to establish a smaller investment management company to manage family and other assets.”
Greek-born Ambrosiadou clipped her comments following the surprising news and simply stated that: “Martin is serving up to 12 months’ notice with further agreement and goodwill.”
Her husband, though never as high profile a character within the City as Ambrosiadou, nevertheless was a vital part of the hedge fund’s operations.
The pioneering Ambrosiadou was also one of the first hedge fund managers to move pieces of her business away from London to countries such as Cyprus and the Cayman Islands.