Ben Melkman has joined Schonfeld Strategic Advisors as a portfolio manager for the firm’s discretionary macro and fixed income strategy.
Melkman, who founded and served as CIO of Light Sky Macro, will report to strategy co-heads Colin Lancaster and Mitesh Parikh and will be charged with building out a team of experienced macro risk takers to provide more diversification and scale to the strategy, officials announced.
Having closed Light Sky Macro last year, Melkman plans to operate out of the Bahamas as Schonfeld endeavors to further its footprint in the region.
“Ben is a business leader and world-class market navigator,” said Parikh. “Colin and I know firsthand how challenging it can be to run your own firm — having to wear multiple hats in an uncertain and always on market environment. Schonfeld’s flexibility allows us to attract entrepreneurial talent that would otherwise be unavailable to other platforms.”
Melkman was a partner and portfolio manager at Brevan Howard Asset Management prior to founding his own macro firm in 2017, an before that he was an executive director on the FX desk at Morgan Stanley.
“What brought me to Schonfeld was their flexibility,” Melkman added. “I can focus on what I do best — navigating the markets, attracting talent and speaking to investors. At Schonfeld, I have all of the advantages of running my own business and none of the drawbacks.”
Schonfeld, which has approximately $14.5 billion in assets, had a good year in macro last year. Officials said in an announcement that the discretionary and fixed income strategy is expected to grow further with a team now totaling 15 senior macro investors and plans for further expansion.
