Optimum Asset Management Inc. Welcomes a Team of Fixed Income Specialists

MONTREAL, Feb. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The management of Optimum Asset Management Inc. is pleased to announce that Razorbill Advisors Inc. (Razorbill) is joining its ranks.   

Optimum Asset Management and Razorbill have indeed concluded an acquisition agreement. This transaction, which recently obtained regulatory approval, allows Optimum to add talented resources to its current team of managers, integrate leading-edge technology into its management toolkit and broaden its range of asset management strategies.

“Razorbill is well-known for its expertise in quantitative analysis and for developing a high-value-added financial technology,” said Claude Lamonde, President, Optimum Asset Management. “The arrival of these very talented players and their innovative technology will undoubtedly enable us to cement our position as a leader in fixed-income investment strategies,” he added.  

“We look forward to sharing our best practices with these brilliant professionals, and to combining their unique skills to those of our current team. This acquisition strengthens our position in the Quebec market and everywhere else in Canada, furthering our expansion into the management of traditional as well as alternative products,” continued Mr. Lamonde.

“Furthermore, Optimum Asset Management and Razorbill share the same vision and company values, a commitment to clients and a determination to develop value-added strategies for clients, creating a powerful combination of technological expertise and know-how,” concluded Claude Lamonde.

We are pleased to announce the following appointments:

Pierre-Philippe Ste-Marie, Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income

A co-founder of Razorbill in 2013, Mr. Ste-Marie holds a B.A. in Economics from McGill University and a Master of Science in Computational Finance from Carnegie Mellon University He worked at National Bank of Canada between 1997 and 2013, where he established the fixed-income options market making book as well as the credit derivatives desk. As Razorbill’s CEO, Mr. Ste-Marie fostered the development of a range of promising bond products while co-managing investments.

Hugues Sauvé, Vice-President, Active Management

Mr. Sauvé holds a M.Sc. Finance from HEC Montréal and is a CFA charterholder. With an invaluable experience gained at UBS Global Asset Management (1999-2004) and at National Bank (2004-2013), Mr. Sauvé joined Razorbill as Chief Investment Officer in 2014. In addition to rounding out the Group’s quantitative expertise, given the scope of his experience in fundamental analysis and relative value trading across a wide range of credit sectors, as senior manager, Mr. Sauvé was critical in formulating and rolling out Razorbill’s strategies.

Robert Hesselbo, Vice-President, Financial Technology

A co-founder of Razorbill in 2013, Mr. Hesselbo holds a Master’s in Applied Mathematics from Cambridge University and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Oxford University. From 1995 to 2004, Mr. Hesselbo was Chief Technology Officer at Oxford Virtual Markets, where he built a patented automated market making system. During his time at the National Bank of Canada credit derivatives desk, where he joined Pierre-Philippe in 2004, and as Chief Technology Officer at Razorbill, he built a business intelligence and quantitative architecture recognized as an industry leader.

Sylvain Crouzet, Vice-President, Financial Modelling

A graduate of ENSTA ParisTech, Sylvain Crouzet holds a post-graduate degree (DEA) in Economics from the Université de Paris VI, and a Ph.D. in mathematical programming from École polytechnique de Montréal. With extensive system optimization experience in the energy and transportation sectors, he joined the credit derivatives desk at National Bank of Canada in 2006 to supplement their modelling expertise. A co-founder of Razorbill in 2013, Mr. Crouzet built a suite of outstanding fixed-income applications for multi-asset class analysis, portfolio management and risk management.

About Optimum Asset Management Inc.
A subsidiary of Optimum Group founded in 1985, Optimum Asset Management develops investment strategies for its institutional and private clients. With nearly $8 billion in assets under management, this acquisition demonstrates the firm’s intention to maintain its position as a leading fixed-income investment firm.

About Optimum Group Inc.
Founded in 1969 by actuaries, Optimum Group Inc. is a private Canadian financial group with international operations in a variety of sectors: life reinsurance, property and casualty insurance, life insurance, actuarial consulting and asset management. Optimum has operations in Canada, the United States and France and 540 employees contribute to its success.