Hedgie Harding looks for brain gain in Zurich
THE HEDGE fund set up by star trader David Harding plans to open a base in Switzerland in order to tap into the pool of talent which has been swelled by scientists pursuing the origins of the universe.
Winton Capital Management, which uses scientific research to spot patterns in market behaviour and currently has about 110 researchers, will open its first branch in continental Europe in Zurich in July.
The pure research office will be run by a German particle physicist and will tap into Switzerland’s burgeoning reputation as a home for advanced science.
Zurich is home to a top class university and major maths and science research centre in the ETH, while the Large Hadron Collider, based at the Cern laboratory near Geneva, was set up to pursue the Higgs boson, known as the God particle.
“We are looking to expand our research department by some 15 per cent this year and are focusing on hiring the very best people,” said Harding.
“Our intention remains… to keep reinvesting in the highest quality scientific research so that our hard earned expertise in financial mathematics can continue to grow.”
Winton currently has more than 260 staff in Kensington, Hammersmith, Oxford and Hong Kong but is bringing its London teams into one building in Hammersmith, for its executive, marketing, back office, research, risk management and trading functions.
Harding, a Cambridge natural sciences graduate, set up the firm after leaving AHL. His wealth stands at £800m, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.