Company Overview
Overlay Asset Management (OAM) is an investment management firm specialising in currency management. Overlay Asset Management provides a full range of currency management solutions and services, including absolute return currency programmes as well as active and passive currency hedging services, to institutional investors (via Funds or managed accounts). Our investment process is based on proprietary quantitative models developed within the firm’s Research team and implemented by an experienced Investment Management team.
Overlay Asset Management was established in Geneva in 1998 by Hélie d'Hautefort, who remains the firm’s CEO and Chief Investment Officer. The firm’s Head Office is in Paris, it operates a full branch in London and a local client service office in Hong Kong.
Timeline of key dates and events
- 1998: Overlay Asset Management is established in Geneva by Hélie d'Hautefort, the firm’s current CEO and Chief Investment Officer
- 1999: Overlay Asset Management is approved by the French financial regulator, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and takes on its first active currency hedging mandate
- 2001: Overlay Asset Management is acquired by BNP Paribas Investment Partners
- 2003: Overlay Asset Management launches its first Currency Alpha Program
- 2006: Assets under management exceed EUR 10 billion for the first time
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2009: Overlay Asset Management opens its U.K. Branch
Regulatory Oversight
Overlay Asset Management is registered as a Portfolio Manager with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers ("AMF") under the number GP 99-24, and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Services Authority ("FSA").
Ownership Structure
Overlay Asset Management is a wholly owned subsidiary of the holding company, BNP Paribas Investment Partners S.A., which is itself majority owned by BNP Paribas S.A. The Investment Partners organisational structure allows Overlay Asset Management to offer its clients a “best of both worlds” business model, offering all the benefits of an independent, boutique investment manager specialising in currency management, whilst being able to leverage the scale, global reach, credibility and strong balance sheet of its parent company.
Overlay Asset Management is responsible for all investment related aspects of clients' portfolios. It has its own independent Executive, Investment and Research Committees; independent quantitative research, portfolio management, trading and middle office teams; and proprietary investment models and portfolio management systems developed in-house and specifically designed for currency management.
Overlay Asset Management is able to leverage its parent company, BNP Paribas Investment Partners, for many non-investment related functions - especially those where scale and global reach brings an advantage. Investment Partners supports the development and maintenance of OAM's IT infrastructure, provides compliance and risk management oversight to OAM's investment activities, and provides legal support and business continuity planning and support. In addition, Overlay Asset Management is able to leverage BNPP IP’s global network of sales, marketing and client support teams to provide local market support to its clients.