Prof. Dr. Carsten Kotas

Have been managing a corporate finance advisory firm in cooperation with Warth & Klein Grant Thornton AG, Wiesbaden, Germany. Entrepreneurs, intending to set up and/or fund a company/project in Germany are being supported comprehensively during all stages of their transactions. In addition member of the ALFI ‘Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies’ Forum, Luxembourg.

Head of Capital Markets - Walser Privatbank AG (Austria) - Led Capital Markets division with executive authority for Investment Research, Asset Management, Product Management, Institutional Sales, and Service & Support departments and a team of 17. Managing Director - Walser Privatbank Invest S.A. (Luxembourg) - Responsibilities included: corporate strategy, risk management, marketing and product strategy.

Managed 3 Funds – HSBC Trinkaus Global Alpha Strategies Hedge Fund (BaFin-regulated Global Macro Hedge Fund totaling €40m), a Fund of Hedge Funds (BaFin-regulated “Spezialfonds” totaling €360m), and HSBC Trinkaus Multi-Asset Plus SICAV (CSSF-regulated long-only absolute return fund totaling €60m). Increased Assets under Management of hedge funds desk from €0 to €420m between February 2007 and September 2009. Responsible for the management of alternative investments’ portfolio.

Managing partner of alternative investment consultancy focussing on hedge funds and private equity. Employed five consultants and analysts, advising institutional clients on portfolio construction, quantitative fund analysis (in cooperation with Reuters), qualitative manager due diligence, manager selection, risk management & monitoring. Provided Tax and legal structuring services (tax-efficient structuring of SPVs, funds, securities) in conjunction with Grant Thornton.

Responsible for both marketing and structuring of alternative investments (private equity, commodities and hedge funds), and led international transaction teams. Managed structuring activities such as product structuring (i.e. portfolio construction, capital guarantees) as well as tax and legal structuring. Marketed UBS products to German institutional investors (banks, insurance companies, corporate clients, foundations etc).

Managing partner of non-listed, multi-strategy hedge fund developed from trading on own account as Kronos Securities GbR. Focused on arbitrage and equity long/short strategies employing a group of five employees. Responsible for all commercial business activities. Represented the company as a member of the EUREX and the Deutsche Börse AG.

Managed bank’s strategic fixed income (domestic and international including derivatives) and FX position taking, and responsible for all proprietary trading activities (fixed income, equities and derivatives). Led team of 5 and headed up bank’s asset liability committee. Introduced an appropriate risk measurement system, determining risk limits and thresholds. Contributed to definition and implementation of bank’s overall investment process.

Managed 3 mutual funds & 11 “Spezialfonds” totaling DM 2.4 billion. Successfully ran mutual fund’s (absolute return) overlay position in interest rate derivatives (futures and options on Bunds, Gilts, OATs, BTPs, US Treasuries). Supervised convertibles and structured products within the DIT product range, provided research and determined investment strategies for several market segments. Developed trading systems and asset allocation models based on “Colower Partial Moments”.

Traded interest rate derivatives as a DTB (Eurex) Market Maker for Bund Options and as a Proprietary Trader for Bund Futures. Taught classes in “Option Pricing Theory”.