Monday, April 25, 2016

Nicholas Parrish and Varun Varma Presented on Hedge Funds at Marquette This Week


Nick Parrish and Varun Varma of GCM Grosvenor Visited Campus on Monday, April 25, 2016
Dr. David Krause and his students in the AIM program and Alternative Investments classes were again treated to a presentation by Nick Parrish and Varun Varma of GCM Grosvenor. The firm is a major global alternative asset manager specializing in hedge fund, private equity, infrastructure and other asset classes.
 
Dr. Krause, Varun Varma and Nicholas Parrish
GCM Grosvenor invests on behalf of clients who seek allocations to alternative investments, such as hedge funds, private equity, real estate and infrastructure. With about $50 billion in assets under management, they are one of the world’s largest and most diversified independent alternative asset management firms. Grosvenor is headquartered in Chicago and has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul.
Image result for gcm grosvenor logo
The firm specializes in developing customized portfolios for clients who want an active role in the development of their alternatives programs. They offer multi-client portfolios for investors who desire a turn-key solution for accessing alternative investments – which includes multi-manager portfolios as well as portfolios of direct investments and co-investments. Their portfolios range from highly concentrated to broadly diversified.
Dr. Krause said, “Nick and Varun always do an outstanding job in the classroom and in informal discussions with the AIM students. They provided a solid presentation to the Alternative Investments class on hedge funds and they were excellent at engaging the students in conversations in the AIM Room. This year Nick and Varun discussed the debate over the performance of hedge funds and the challenges of investing in rapidly moving, technology-driven markets. It is great to have them return to Marquette each spring.”
Nicholas Parrish
Nicholas Parrish shares responsibility for product development, new business development, and strategic initiatives relating to the firm’s global institutional and retail client base. Prior to joining GCM Grosvenor, from 2003 to 2004, he was associated with U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, and from 2002 to 2003, Mr. Parrish was associated with Northwestern Mutual in Chicago. Mr. Parrish received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, double majoring in Business Economics and Finance, from Marquette University in 2002. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations and is a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society of Chicago and the CAIA Association®.
Varun Varma
Varun Varma is an Analyst with GCM Grosvenor in Chicago. He is a part of their three-year analyst program and has been with the firm since September 2013.  Varun graduated from Marquette University with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. He had multiple majors including: Finance - Applied Investment Management; Accounting; and Economics. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2013. Previous to working at Grosvenor, he was a Summer Analyst at Cascade Investments in Seattle. Varun also was an Investment Intern with the City of Milwaukee Employes' Retirement System.