First Degree Global Asset Management
We are an Asset Manager and we welcome independent fund managers to join our Platform.
“We are licensed fiduciaries, we seek to add managers who demonstrate a market niche”
A Platform run by Managers, for Managers
Established in 2011 and wholly-owned by its Executive Team, First Degree has a commitment to excellence in all aspects of Investment Management, investment strategy, execution, legal structuring of the vehicles, risk management and compliance. We welcome skilled managers with a strong investment thesis to join us. Our structures and processes are easily embedded within a prospective manager’s portfolio management systems, leaving the manager free to focus on their core skill: managing money and building a track record. Our manager stable is distinct and varied, from Early-Stage Venture Capital, Private Equity, Reverse-Merger, Peer2Peer Lending and Green Bonds, we seek to add managers who demonstrate a market niche.
To receive more information on our funds click here
Asset Management Services
We provide an institutional standard portfolio management service for our clients in a way that leaves the bulk of returns with our clients. We manage long only bespoke portfolios for High Net Worth investors, together with long/short alpha strategies for Individuals and Institutions. We believe that long-run returns are maximised with a strategic allocation to the major asset classes and that implementation is best delivered through low cost instruments and efficient execution. Our alpha strategies are based on proprietary research focusing on long horizon investment rules.
“Long-run returns are maximised with a strategic asset allocation. Implementation is best delivered through low cost instruments”
Stephen Fisher
Chief Investment Officer
Stephen has twenty five years’ experience as an investment professional with leading investment management groups in the United States, Asia and Australia.
Immediately prior to co-founding First Degree in 2011, Stephen was the Head of Global Fixed Income Product – Asia Pacific at JPMorgan Asset Management, and had investment responsibility for the firm’s mandates from Central Banks, Sovereign Wealth Funds and some of the largest Institutions in the Asia Pacific Region.
Prior to that role, Stephen held roles with J.P Morgan Investment Management in New York and Australia, including those of Australian Head of Capital Markets Research and Asia Pacific Regional Head of Capital Markets Research.
Sam Luft
Chief Executive, Global Wealth Management
Sam has three decades of experience managing multi-asset class portfolios for Private Clients and Institutional investors in North America.
Prior to co-founding First Degree in 2011, Sam held a range of senior management and investment management roles for domestic and international institutions in North America.
These roles included Chief Global Markets Strategist at Folio Asset Management, Head of Investment Management for Credit Agricole’s Private Bank in The Bahamas, Chief Executive of Banque Safdie USA and as a Senior Portfolio Manager at Fiera Capital and Montrosco Bolton.
Tony Morgan
Chief Executive Officer
Tony has twenty-five years’ experience in the creation of investment management businesses in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region.
Prior to co-founding First Degree in 2011, Tony was a corporate and securities lawyer with Baker & McKenzie in Sydney, before holding the roles of Head of Investment Product and Corporate Counsel at Davey Financial Management and Corporate Counsel and Head of the Retail Business of Jardine Fleming Australia.
Tony then transferred to Hong Kong to take up the role of Business Management Director of the JF Asset Management Group. Subsequent to those roles, Tony relocated to Singapore where he held the roles of Chief Operating Officer, South Asia, and Head of Sovereign and Institutional Clients, South Asia, at JPMorgan Asset Management.
Omar Taheri
Advisor
Omar has many years experience in the hedge fund industry and is founder of an events business – The Fundies. Through The Fundies, Omar built a comprehensive set of contacts and relationships with hedge fund professionals across Asia-Pacific.
Named one of the “Young Guns” in the Asian hedge fund space, Taheri is a recognised influencer. Omar’s network has expanded to a wide range of investment related institutions and individuals such as Family Offices, High Net Worth Individuals, Wealth Management firms, Corporate entities, broker/dealers, the administration support sector and, of course, Hedge Funds in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Omar was instrumental in growing Swiss-Asia’s hedge fund platform and was able to incubate numerous start-up hedge funds in the region. He brings this experience to First Degree.
In addition to his advisory role at First Degree, Omar is currently CEO of Spark Plus an independent corporate access firm and holds advisory roles at Chainstack and Solas Fiduciary Services.
Recent Posts
Our Address
71 Ayer Rajah Crescent
Block 71, #01-17
Singapore 139951
Phone
+65 6815 1993
Email
contact@firstdegree.asia
My LLM
For a number of reasons I am teaching myself how to estimate a Large Language Model. I am learning about embedding words and expressions in vectors, introducing semantics, clustering, classifications and building chatbots. The vision I have is to introduce an automated assistant to our business to better integrate our database into our daily processes. […]
Could Trump’s tariffs deliver luxury to the masses?
My TikTok feed has been hijacked by group of Chinese manufacturers lamenting the decline in business associated with the Trump tariffs. Many claim that they are the manufacturers for high end products from Gucci, Hermes, Prada and others, where the bulk of fabrication takes place in China with minimal finishing in Italy or France. Whether […]
Markets and penguins
Tariffs I. Long-sighted or over-reacted? While it remains unclear what the point of the Trump tariff episode is, the markets had either (i) underestimated their duration and reach, or (ii) over-reacted. Some facts… The Petersen Institute for International Economics in Washington DC estimates that trade adds USD2,500 per household annually where household GDP is USD210,000 […]