The Investment Team is composed of experienced individuals with complementary skill sets, having worked together for many years
The Advisors bring extensive industrial knowledge and experience that supplement internal research and underpin investments
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sterling Strategic Value Fund. Vice-Chairman of SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M and of the Investment Committee. Joined in 2006.
Massimo is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sterling Strategic Value Fund and Vice-Chairman of SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M and of the Investment Committee. He has been involved with Sterling since 2006. From 1985 to 2006 Massimo worked at the Law firm Tettamanti Spiess & Associati where he became Partner in 1993. Massimo areas of focus were contract law, M&A, corporate, international tax and financial law. During this period, he advised industrial and financial companies in cross border joint-ventures and M&A transactions in Europe, Asia and America. Massimo holds a Degree in Law from the Geneva University. Massimo is also Chairman of Fidinam Group, ST Group Holding Inc. and ST Real Estate Holding Inc.
Chairman of SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. and the Investment Committee. Joined in 2006.
Giulia is the Chairman of SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. and of the Investment Committee. She joined Sterling in 2006. Giulia has more than 30 years of experience in Corporates, boards and Investment Banking, strategy, business development, restructuring, operations and integration. She started her career in Private Equity at CVC and then in Investment Banking at Salomon Brothers and Lehman Brothers. In 1999 she joined Telecom Italia with the responsibility for International Strategy and Corporate Development. In 2003, she joined Cable & Wireless as Group director for Strategy and Business Development and was also a member of the board of Monaco Telecom in 2007. In 2007 she then moved to Diageo as a member of the senior management team with responsibility for global M&A and integration management. From 2011 to 2018 Giulia was a partner in Ares Life Sciences, a PE healthcare fund managed by Waypoint Capital. Giulia holds a degree in Economics from Boston College and an MBA from Bocconi University. She is also a Board Member of ST Group Holding Inc and of Fidinam Group.
Managing Director and Investment Professional
Beniamino is an Investment Professional. He joined Sterling in 2022. Prior to that, Beniamino spent 6 years in Investment Banking at Jefferies and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, with a focus on M&A. During his MBA, he worked as a Research Analyst at a long/short equity hedge fund. Beniamino holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, a MSc in Corporate Finance from Bocconi University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of Rome Sapienza. 7 years of experience.
Investment Analyst
Raffael is an Investment Analyst. He joined Sterling in 2023. Raffael holds an MSc in Management & Technology from the Technical University of Munich and has gained international experience in Singapore and Indonesia. During his studies, Raffael worked in the Corporate Development team at the Boston Consulting Group, focusing on M&A. Besides, he gained experience in the high-growth software environment at companies like Celonis.
Advisor to SSVL since 2006
Tony is currently a Partner at Triginta Capital GmbH (since 2007). He has more than 20 years of experience in private equity. Previously MD Germany of Bridgepoint (formerly Nat West Equity Partners), Director at ATCO (ABN Amro Capital/NIB and Alpinvest) and Partner of a business and M&A advisory firm. Member of the Network of Advisors since 2006. British nationality.
Advisor to SSVL since March 2021
Frank is currently Chairman of the Board and only Shareholder in the family company poly-clip System GmbH&Co.KG. He has been able to significantly grow the company value by approximately thirtyfold. He has over 30 years of experience. Previously he worked as a Consultant at Helbling Management Consulting. Frank is also member of the advisory council of two german companies and one charity organization. Member of the Network of Advisors since March 2021. Frank holds a Master in accounting and finance from HSG St. Gallen. German/Swiss nationality.
Advisor to SSVL since 2021
Fabio Mantegazza joined his family‘s travel business in the UK in 1975. The business consisted of Tour Operator companies (Cosmos and later Avro) and a Charter Airline (Monarch). Fabio has held a series of executive positions within the various businesses, eventually becoming Managing Director of Cosmos Coach Tours LTD in 1987, then Managing Director of Avro Plc in 1994 and taking the supervision of all Group CEOs from 2005. He was responsible for managing the sale of the UK leisure travel business in 2014 to Greybull Capital. Fabio is now active within the family office Scorpion SAM in Monaco. Swiss nationality.
Advisor to SSVL since 2020
Karoline is currently board member and CFO of Testo SE & Co KG aA, a world market leader in measurement technology. She has 20 years of management experience in the machinery industry of ‘Deutscher Mittelstand’ having lived through all the different phases in a company from restructuring to growth. Previously she was a member of the board of WashTec AG where she covered various leadership roles from operational management of sales and key account with worldwide P&L responsibility for all international entities, to process oriented management, setting up the Compliance and Corporate Audit functions, leading M&A activities as well as introducing modern HR tools and implementing a corporate culture as CHRO. In addition, Karoline always served as main contact to investors while the market cap of WashTec grew from c. €100m to more than €1bn. Member of the Network of Advisors since 2020. Karoline holds a Law Degree from Augsburg University. German nationality.
Advisor to SSVL since March 2021
Ole has spent 25 years in Global Construction and Building Materials Industry. As a top executive of Wolseley plc (now Ferguson plc), the UK FTSE100 plumbing and building materials merchant, he was engaged as CEO of business areas and cross-country functions in 20+ countries, working out of London, Zürich and Copenhagen. Earlier Ole held senior positions in the Nordic Region within DT Group, NCC and R&S. The past few years Ole has advised PE funds on the building sector and has built smaller businesses within healthcare and green technologies. Ole is a corporate strategist and passionate people manager. Member of the Network of Advisors since March 2021. He holds a MSc in Economics from University of Aarhus, did MBA-studies at Cranfield University and courses at IMD and INSEAD. Danish nationality.
Advisor to SSVL since 2011
Christian is currently Board member of Rothschild & Co. Bank AG, Peach Property Group and Cornèr Bank Group. Previously he served as CEO at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets AG from 1998 to 2008. In 2009 he was appointed Country Head of Switzerland at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He holds a degree in Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Zurich. Member of the Network of Advisors since 2011. Christian has been named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Swiss nationality.
Advisor to SSVL since March 2021
Matteo has been active in the financial sector since 1990. He spent 18 years at Credit Suisse initially serving multinational corporations from Zurich, then leading the asset management division as CEO in Italy from 2001 until 2009. He then joined to Aberdeen Asset Management where he became the Head of Business Development for Switzerland and Southern Europe and Country Head Switzerland. In 2017 Matteo started an independent corporate advisor activity and is partner in various companies among which Fintech sustainable advisor Conser. Member of the Network of Advisors since March 2021. Matteo holds a Master in economics from the Lausanne University in 1989 and is a member of the Association of Italian Financial Analysts – AIAF. Swiss/Italian nationality.
Advisor to SSVL since 2018
Wolfgang is an entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in the steel industry where he holds various leadership positions. Wolfgang has also been Economic Advisor to the Government of Ticino during their campaign aimed at promoting investments and start-ups in the industrial sector. Member of the Network of Advisors since 2018. Wolfgang has a degree in Industrial Engineer from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. Swiss/German nationality.
Member of the Investment Committee since September 2017.
Currently Managing Partner of Ex-Ante Partnership. Randel has 30 years of experience in the global investment management industry, having managed 10 London based funds and numerous managed accounts during his career. From 2014 to 2016, Randel was the CIO of the Fortress Centaurus Global Fund. In 2000, Randel founded Centaurus Capital, a multi-billion dollar hedge fund group with AUM at its peak of $5bn, where he served as CEO and CIO until 2014 when the business was sold to the Fortress Investment Group. Prior to this he was co-head of the Risk Arbitrage division at Banque Paribas in London and an Associate at Goldman Sachs in New York. Randel is a CFA Charterholder and has an MBA from the University of Chicago, CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in ESG investing, and a Certificate in Advanced Responsible Investment Analysis from PRI Academy. American/British/Swiss nationalities.
Advisor to SSVL since 2014
Peter is currently Chairman of Manolete Partners plc, a Non-Executive Director of Science Group plc and Chairman of a private equity backed technology business. Previously he held Chairman/ NED positions and advisory roles in UK Listed companies in software, hardware, IT Services, and Business Services sectors. Peter has over 20 years of senior executive experience (as CEO or CFO) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) having qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand. Member of the Network of Advisors since 2014. British nationality.
Managing Director, Senior Investment Professional
Jonathan rejoined Sterling in June 2021 as Co-Managing Director of SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. Prior to that, he was an analyst and senior analyst for 12 years at Sterling (2006-2018), and a senior investment manager at Luxempart on its listed equities strategy (2018-2021). Jonathan’s early career was in private client asset management where he held various roles in client relationship management, portfolio management, equity analysis and corporate bond analysis. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the investment industry, including 15 years’ investing in small and mid-cap listed UK/European equities, employing activist and private-equity style investment strategies. 25 years of experience of which 14 years with Sterling.
Head of Research, Senior Investment Professional
Gert is a Senior Investment professional. He joined Sterling in 2017 and became Head of Research in 2021. Prior to that, he was assisting investment banks and private equity and pension funds as an interim manager and strategy consultant for more than 15 years. He managed investor relations for Royal Ten Cate in its 2015 buy-out. Prior to that, Gert had an 11-year career as a Managing Director in the UBS equities department. He was ranked number 1 Benelux analyst in the 1999 Extel survey. Later, he was an investment manager at Cyrte Investments, the media, internet and telecom investment boutique, and he was involved at the inception of Alex Osterwalder’s bestseller Business Model Generation. Gert holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Nyenrode Business University, and a CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in ESG Investing. 35 years of experience of which 7 with Sterling.
Compliance Officer
Bruno is the Compliance Officer of SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. He joined Sterling in 2020. Prior to that, Bruno worked in several financial capacities since 2010, and was Compliance Officer for TC Stratégie Financière Monaco from 2016 to 2020. He has been certified both by Monaco’s AMAF (Association Monégasque des Activités Financières) in 2018 and by the French AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) in 2013. Bruno has been elected to the board of Monaco’s AMCO (Association Monégasque des Compliance Officers) and was appointed leader of AMCO’s Asset Management Companies’ Committee, in September 2021. Bruno holds a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. 26 years of experience of which 3 years with Sterling.
Office Manager and Marketing assistant
Sofiane is the Office Manager and Marketing Assistant. He joined Sterling in 2022. Prior to that, Sofiane worked in several companies based in Monaco as Marketing Assistant. He was also in charge of Business Development and event Management. Sofiane supports Sterling marketing activity and development. He holds a Master Degree in International Management. 6 years of experience.
Marketing and Administrative Manager
Cecilia is the Marketing and Administrative Manager. She rejoined Sterling in March 2023. Prior to that, Cecilia worked in a Monaco-based Real estate agency for 12 years where she was responsible for accounting, administration, and property management. She also worked as an Office Manager in a renowned international law firm in Monaco. 19 years of experience of which 5 years with Sterling.
Managing Director
Fabien is co-Managing Director of SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M since 2021. He joined Sterling as Member of the Board of Directors of Sterling Strategic Value Fund in January 2017. Prior to that, Fabien started working at Fidinam Monaco in 1999 and was appointed Managing Director in 2010. He holds responsibility for accounting, admministration, reporting, custody, bank relationships, cash management, hedging as well as risk management. Previously Client Services Officer for State Street Banque S.A. (Paris) (1998-1999) and responsible for strategic analysis and budget preparation at Lazard Brothers Asset Management (London) (1996). He is also Member of the Board of Directors of Special Situations Investment Partners SA, ST Group Holding SA, ST Real Estate Holding SA, and ST Services Holding Inc. He holds a Master degree in International Asset Management from CERAM Business School and DESS CAAE from the Institut d’Administration des Entreprises. 25 years of experience of which 13 with Sterling.
Senior Investment Professional
Louise rejoined Sterling in February 2023 as a Senior Investment Professional and is working as an advisor on specific investments. Prior to that, she was Managing Director of SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. until June 2021. Louise worked as an investment manager for Sterling in the early days (2000-2002), before co-founding the long-only activist investment company Knight Vinke Asset Management where she was Head of Research (2002-2007). In her earlier career (1993-2000), she worked in audit and corporate finance for Ernst & Young in Europe and the UK where, as a member of the international due diligence team, she advised UK and US investors acquiring in France. Louise is a Chartered Accountant, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, and holds a Honors Degree in Accountancy from Glasgow University. 30 years of experience of which 10 with Sterling.
Member of the Investment Committee since October 2023.
Jean is Advisor to Sterling since 2022 and became Member of the Investment Committee in October 2023. Jean is a Senior Partner at Palamon Capital Partners, a leading Pan-European Private Equity fund which he joined in 2005. During his time at Palamon, Jean has led numerous investments in high growth companies across multiple service sectors. As an investor and Board member, he helps management teams design and execute transformational growth strategies, scale up their operations and achieve industry leading positions. Prior to joining Palamon, Jean spent 8 years at Bain & Company, the global management consultancy, where he led consulting projects focused on corporate strategy, operational improvements and M&A. He also worked for French Railways (SNCF) in London as part of the Eurostar marketing team. Jean graduated from ESSEC in Paris and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Member of the Investment Committee since July 2020.
Alexander is Member of the Investment Committee. He joined Sterling in 2020. Alexander is the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Lincoln International AG in Germany, and member of the firm’s Global Management Committee. He also advises private equity firms and sits on several Advisory Boards of corporates and other institutions. Prior to this, he acted as Group Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board of Management for freight transport and logistics at Deutsche Bahn. Previously held a variety of management positions at financial institutions in New York, London and Frankfurt including Chief Executive Officer for Germany at Barclays Bank PLC and Co-head of Lazard in Germany. MBA from Emory University Goizeta Business School in Atlanta. Member of the Stiftungsrat of Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, “Executives and Entrepreneurs in Residence” at ESMT Berlin and the Board of Trustees of Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe amongst others.
Advisor to SSVL since March 2021
Dr Richard Wolman is a Consultant in Succession Strategy, Change Management, and human resource development with a particular focus on family businesses and other high-performance knowledge businesses such as industrials, investment firms, trading houses and management consultancies. Richard began his career in medicine in South Africa before specialising in psychiatry at St George’s Hospital in London and established a global speciality in management development frameworks for entrepreneurial businesses. Member of the Network of Advisors since March 2021. He has worked extensively in Europe, the Middle East and the United States. South African nationality.
Joined SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. in July 2019. Prior to joining SSVL, Lorris worked as junior trader at Crédit Agricole CIB in Paris, covering short term fixed income markets, primarily repos. Before that he gained experience as a junior financial auditor at Ernst & Young in Toulouse. Lorris holds a masters level degree in finance with a specialization in banking and financial markets from the Toulouse Business School (France) and is studying towards the CFA qualification.
Previously held various Supervisory Board positions in German companies such as Washtec, Kampa, Sto and KHD Humboldt Wedag. Broad experience in German and international businesses, most recently at Dyckerhoff, where he was Member of the Management Board from 1997-2001. Previous marketing and management roles in fast moving consumer goods (Lingner Werke), household products (Braun), and mobile radio/mobile phone (ITT). He holds a degree in Business Administration from the Free University of Berlin.
Advisor since 2014.
Global Strategic Advisor to Yes Bank, Mumbai, India. Wouter spent over 30 years with Rabobank in the Netherlands where he was Vice-Chairman of the Management Board from 1996 to 2006. During this period he had various responsibilities including global Capital Markets and Treasury as well as International Retail Activities in Australia, Ireland, Poland, China and Indonesia. Wouter has also held a number of Board positions including with SAC Private Capital Group LLC, Afval Energie Bedrijf Amsterdam, Cosmos Bank Taipei, Taiwan and Vastned Retail. Wouter is a Dutch national and has a degree in Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam
Advisor since 2017
Joined SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. in July 2015. Prior to this, Paul had a 15 year career as Senior Fund Manager at Setanta Asset Management, an €8 billion investment manager based in Dublin, and previously worked as a Management Consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Paul is a non-executive director of Motiv8 Performance Excellence and a founder and Board Member of the Value Investment Institute. He is a CFA Charterholder and holds a Finance Degree and Masters (with distinction) in Finance. Paul has augmented his studies attending the CFA Investment Management Workshop at Harvard Business School and the Executive Program in Value Investing at Columbia Business School.
Joined SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. in July 2018. Daniel has over ten years of experience in equity research, investment management and business development. Prior to joining SSVL Daniel worked for three years as a senior equity analyst at Exane BNP Paribas in London, covering European mining and steel. Prior to that he worked for seven years at Macquarie Group in London, first as an analyst in the bank’s asset management division (Macquarie Funds Group) and latterly as research analyst covering the basic resources sector. Daniel holds a masters level degree in business administration from the University of Mannheim (Germany) and is a CFA Charterholder
Joined SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. in 2014. Prior to this, Kader worked for Natixis in Paris as a Senior sell-side Equity Analyst (2010-2014) covering pan European building materials and construction companies. He also worked for Natixis in London as a buy-side Credit Analyst (2008-2009), advising on distressed loans, LBO, high yield and investment grade loans as part of a small proprietary trading team. Kader holds a Masters in Banking & International Finance (with honours) and spent 2 years of his studies in Sweden and China.
Joined SSVL (Monaco) S.A.M. in February 2018. Prior to this, Giacomo worked for Pictet Global Markets in London helping the UK entity to adapt to the new MiFID 2 regulations. He then moved to Pictet headquarter in Geneva and, as a Trading & Sales Assistant, he took care of the trading needs of European and North American institutional clients. He also worked for Crossinvest, a wealth and asset manager based in Lugano, where he helped to manage one of their fund. Giacomo holds a Master of Science in Finance from HEC Lausanne.
Advisor to SSVL since March 2021
Stephen spent his entire investment career at Aberdeen Standard Investments, having Joined Aberdeen Asset Management in August 1994 as an Investment Statistician. He performed numerous roles within the Business, before managing global portfolios in 2000 and became head of the Global Equity Desk in 2003. Managing a team of investment professionals, they successfully built a multi-billion AUM US$ business across numerous global client mandates, including Global, EAFE +, EAFE, Global and International Small Caps and sector funds. Stephen held numerous Board positions and Committee memberships within Aberdeen until he left in June 2020. British nationality.