Malbec Partners Introduces Investment Management Teams for Alternative Investment Platform Strategies

Portfolio Managers Named for Recently Launched Emerging Markets and Quantitative Fixed Income Investment Strategies NEW YORK, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Malbec Partners, Inc. today announcedthat the firm has recruited two experienced investment teams for itsrecently launched Alternative Investment Platform. Bill Geisler, whopreviously ran Amaranth Advisors' Emerging Markets Strategy, has been hiredas a Portfolio Manager to head the Malbec Emerging Markets Strategy teamalong with Lars Pedersen, a Senior Research Strategist. The Malbec PartnersQuantitative Multi-Strategy team will be headed by Portfolio Managers RyanSheftel, previously a Director at Citadel Investment Group; David Horowitz,formerly a Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Head of Credit Researchat Morgan Stanley Investment Management; and Ian McDonald, formerly aManaging Director and Head of Macro Strategies at Goldman Sachs. Both teamswill report to Jeffrey Trongone, President and CEO of Malbec Partners. Malbec Partners was launched in response to significant opportunitiesin this asset class and a growing need for alternative strategies thatoperate within a disciplined institutional platform. "These hires are asignificant step toward achieving our objective to create a world-classalternatives platform and to demonstrate our ability to attract superiortalent, in large part due to our reputation and the global reach andsupport of our parent, BNP Paribas," said Jeffrey Trongone, President andCEO of Malbec Partners. "For outstanding investment teams, Malbec Partnersrepresents a unique opportunity. We are thrilled that Bill, Lars, Ryan,David, and Ian have joined to lead the growth of our initial strategies. Inaddition to their proven abilities to support an institutional platform,each brings an exceptional performance record, character, and integrity tothis venture." Bill Geisler, the Portfolio Manager of the Malbec Partners' EmergingMarkets Strategy, previously ran Amaranth Advisors' emerging marketsstrategy and was Managing Director and Global Head of Lehman Brothers'emerging markets fixed income business. Lars Pedersen, the former Senior Research Analyst and Strategist forthe emerging markets strategy at Amaranth, also joins the emerging marketsteam as a Senior Research Analyst and Strategist. Previously, Lars was aSenior Economist at the IMF in its International Capital Markets departmentand the Chief Strategist for the Hedge Fund Coverage Group at LehmanBrothers. The portfolio managers for the Malbec Partners QuantitativeMulti-Strategy team -- Ryan Sheftel, David Horowitz and Ian McDonald --have extensive experience in global fixed income markets. Mr. Sheftel waspreviously a Director in Global Rates at Citadel Investment Group, which hejoined in 2002 from Goldman Sachs. Mr. Horowitz previously was a ManagingDirector and Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, andDr. McDonald is the former head of Macro Strategies at Goldman Sachs. About Malbec Partners Malbec Partners, Inc. is a global alternative asset management firmlocated in New York City. The firm recruits high quality investment teamsto lead sophisticated alternative investment strategies as part of theMalbec Partners platform. The firm and its affiliate Fischer Francis Trees& Watts, a large institutional money manager, are both wholly owned by BNPParibas.