By Fraser Irving

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Former Gamco Investors analyst Mario Russo is preparing to launch a hedge fund.

 

Russo, who worked at the $41 bn asset manager between 2012 and 2015, set up the management company earlier this year.

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The firm is currently fundraising for a long/short equity strategy, targeting more than $100 mn from institutional investors and family offices globally. It is set to launch in Q3 2020.

 

It is understood the firm had planned to domicile the vehicle in the Cayman Islands, but has now put together a contingency plan to move elsewhere following the island's EU blacklisting last month.

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Russo began his career as an analyst at Lehman Brothers, spending a year there between 2007 and 2008 where he focused on M&A.

In 2008, he moved to PwC Italy where he worked as a corporate finance consultant for two years. He joined Gamco in 2012 where he focused on satellites, cable media, agribusiness and luxury goods.

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In 2016, Russo joined Sun Hung Kai Financial, a Hong Kong-headquartered financial institution with wealth management, corporate finance, asset management and brokerage arms.