Business Team
Our Client Relations and Business Development teams play the crucial role of maintaining strong, transparent relationships with clients and investors every day, ensuring constant support and up to date information from local offices and worldwide.

Alex Lasagna
Deputy CEO
Alex is the Deputy CEO of Algebris Investments, where he is in charge of the Business Development strategy and the middle-back office functions at global level.
He built his career in asset and wealth management, first at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and later at Schroders. Before joining Algebris, together with other partners, he launched an independent asset management company in Italy, IN Alternative.
Alex is Anglo-Italian and grew up between Italy and the UK. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Monetary Economics from the London School of Economics and a master’s degree in international relations & International Economics from Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies in Washington D.C. After his return to Italy, he also obtained a degree in Political Science from La Sapienza University in Rome.
Business Development

Amedeo Sambuy
Business Development Director
Amedeo joined Algebris in 2022 to develop the company presence in the Italian asset management market. His key responsibility is the development of the Italian institutional business through the sale of the company range of products.
Prior to joining Algebris, Amedeo spent 12 years with Columbia Threadneedle as Head of Wholesale and Institutional and also had a long experience with American Express and Standard Chartered in the financial products distribution area.
Previous experience includes the role of currency markets analyst for a financial consulting company.
He achieved a degree in Political Sciences with an emphasis on Monetary Policies from the University of Florence.

Benz Sng
Business Development Associate
Benz joined Algebris in 2019 to support the firm’s growing client base in Asia ex-Japan region.
Before joining Algebris, Benz spent three years at Citco Fund Services as a Senior Operations Analyst, where he managed client servicing and fund onboarding for UK and regional Asian fund clients.
Benz is a CFA charterholder and holds a bachelor’s degree in Banking & Finance, First Class Honours from the University of London.
Outside of work, Benz enjoys staying active and has a continued interest in badminton, a sport he used to play competitively.

Christian Büchler
Business Development Director
Christian joined Algebris in November 2023 as Business Development Director for Switzerland, Austria & Germany.
Christian previously worked at GAM, where he was most recently responsible for servicing financial intermediaries such as banks, family offices, insurance companies and independent asset managers in Switzerland. Prior to that, he was responsible for supporting GAM’s investor base in France/Monaco, the Benelux countries and Austria and was instrumental in establishing and expanding these locations. Christian started his career at UBS and has 15 years of experience in financial services.
Besides his mother tongue German (Swiss German), Christian is fluent in French and English. He loves nature, spends a lot of time sailing and is a passionate hunter.

Christian Chuang
Business Development Director
Christian joined Algebris in 2023 with a mission to grow and strengthen our client presence in Asia ex-Japan.
He brings with him 14 years of rich industry experience, having most recently worked at HSBC Asset Management where he covered retail and private banks, insurance companies, and platforms.
Christian is a graduate of the National University of Singapore, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
He is dedicated to creating cherished memories with his family and is an avid outdoorsman, having left his mark by reaching Everest Base Camp in 2014.

Douglas Branson
Head of Business Development UK
Douglas joined Algebris in July 2020 as Head of Business Development. He is based in our London office.
Before Algebris, Douglas was Head of UK Distribution & a board director at GAM Investments, an independent global asset manager. He was at GAM for 16 years covering UK-based private banks, wealth managers and investment managers. In recent years, his role expanded globally to include coverage of other regions. Prior to GAM, he was a private client portfolio manager at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, where he worked for five years.
Douglas has a degree in European Philosophy and Literature from Anglia University, and holds the IMC and IAQ qualifications. He lives just outside London with his wife and their four children. Outside of work, Doug enjoys playing various sports, music, motorbiking and mountain biking. Doug is a Liveryman of the Haberdashers’ Company which is focused on educational and charitable activities.

Ginevra Casalegno
Business Development Director
Ginevra is Business Development Director at Algebris and is based in London.
Ginevra joined the firm in January 2015 to support business development efforts in Italy and Switzerland from our newly launched Milan office. She moved to our London office in 2018, where she maintained coverage of the institutional and wholesale markets in Italy. From London, she follows the launch of our partnerships and onboarding of our investment funds with global distributors closely. She also helps coordinate global sales efforts with our major clients.
Prior to Algebris, Ginevra worked at BIP Consulting and School for Children ONLUS, an NGO which focuses on educational and charitable activities in India.
Ginevra holds a MSc in Economics and Industrial Organization from the London School of Economics and a BSc in International Economics and Finance from Bocconi University. Outside of work, Ginevra enjoys skiing, swimming, and hiking. She is passionate about classic and modern literature, arts, and road trips.

Karolyn Jukic
CEO Zurich Office - Head Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Karolyn joined Algebris in 2022 as Business Development Director for DACH. In August 2023, she was appointed CEO of Algebris Zurich office.
Karolyn previously worked at Capital Group as Managing Director, where she led the firm’s coverage of German Financial Intermediaries, such as banks, fund of funds, wealth managers, insurance companies and family offices. Before Capital Group, Karolyn spent over 10 years at GAM as Executive Director responsible for developing the sales strategy for Germany as well as the firm’s relationships with Intermediaries and Institutional Clients.
Karolyn started her career at Deutsche Bank and has more than 25 years of experience in the German Asset Management industry.
Karolyn speaks German, English, Croatian, and basic French. She enjoys travelling, art, different kind of sports and cooking for family & friends.

Edward Smallwood
Business Development Director
Edward joined Algebris in 2019 to help develop and expand our UK client base.
Edward has worked in the Asset Management industry for over 7 years starting his career at Invesco Perpetual before moving to HSBC Asset Management and most recently Royal London Asset Management. He has spent his career working in the Wholesale Business Development teams covering UK based Private Banks, Fund of Funds and Wealth Manager clients.
He holds a BA (Hons) degree in Business Management, as well as the IMC certificate.
In his spare time he enjoys staying active having played competitive rugby but now plays golf and spends time with friends and family.

Kazuyoshi Uchikawa
Business Development Director
Kazuyoshi Uchikawa joined Algebris in 2024 as a Business Development Director.
He has over 25 years of experience in financial industry. Prior to Algebris, he was a relationship manager at London based Investment Management firm, covering major distributors, fund wraps and asset managers to develop their retail business. Beforehand, he spent 2 years working as a relationship manager at Asset Management firm, covering institutional investors and pension funds to promote various products, such as traditional assets, hedge funds and private assets. He previously worked at Investment banking company and Investment management company as an equity solution sales.
Kazuyoshi graduated from the University of Tokyo. He grew up in Nishinomiya City, where Hanshin Tigers franchise (Koshien stadium) is located, until high school. He played baseball from primary school to university. He has identical twin daughters and loves spending time with his family.

Masahiro Chiba
Business Development Director
Masahiro Chiba joined Algebris in 2025 as a Business Development Director.
He has 26 years of experience in Japan’s retail asset management industry, specialising in sales, marketing, and business development.
Prior to Algebris, he took the lead in business development for the retail business at Tokio Marine Asset Management. Before that, he spent 20 years with French asset manager, Amundi (formerly Credit Agricole Asset Management), where he played a key role in the expansion of the business in Japan, including heading the banking channel and client support teams.
Masahiro holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business Administration, Waseda University.

Jaime Fernandez-Lomana
Business Development Director
Jaime joined Algebris in 2017 to expand the firm’s presence and enhance client coverage of investors across Iberia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Before joining Algebris, he worked as a financial analyst at Munich Re for two years. Prior to that, he spent five years working in several investment advisory roles at Julius Baer and Merrill Lynch, where he began his career.
Jaime is a CFA charter holder and holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Law from CUNEF University in Madrid.
Outside of work, Jaime enjoys horse riding, motorcycling, and surfing, seizing every opportunity to escape the city.

Karl Bauer
Business Development Director
Karl joined Algebris in 2017 to help expand our Scandinavian investor base.
He previously worked for Morgan Stanley as an analyst, supporting the Morgan Stanley UCITS funds platform FundLogic in London. Prior to that he worked for Cass Business School as a research assistant and Carle & Co Ltd as an analyst.
Karl holds a BSc in Business Management from Cass Business School in London. In his free time Karl enjoys playing tennis, basketball and cooking.

Matteo Zancan
Business Development Associate
Matteo joined Algebris in 2024 to support our sales team and expand the local client base in Italy.
He previously worked 2 years at Credit Suisse AM Milan in the sales team, where he was covering fund buyers as well as retail networks.
He started his career working with private bankers at SanpaoloInvest in Turin.
Matteo holds a BSc in Business Administration from Università di Torino and a MSc in Economics of Markets and Financial Intermediaries from Università Cattolica di Milano.
He is passionate about golf, he has also participated in swimming and tennis competitions in early age. He has recently become interested in martial arts, especially Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Noemi Ginosa
Business Development Senior Associate
Noemi joined Algebris in 2022 as a Business Development Associate within the sales team.
Previously, she worked 3 years at Carmignac and 2 years at Allfunds, supporting the development of the Italian distribution network in collaboration with the Country Head and the sales team. She holds a Master’s Degree in Banking and Finance from the Catholic University of Milan.
Noemi loves traveling and cinema and is passionate about swimming, a sport she has practiced competitively for 13 years.

Lorenzo Amato
Business Development Senior Associate
Lorenzo joined Algebris in 2023 to support our Italian investor base from the Milan office.
Prior to Algebris, he spent 5 years at Russell Investments, where he was a Sales Associate, covering retail, wholesale and institutional clients, with a focus on Long-Only funds and Alternative Strategies.
Previously, he worked 2 years at Amundi Asset Management in Italy and Luxembourg.
Lorenzo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of Pavia and a Master’s degree in Markets & Business Strategy from the Catholic University of Milan , where he is also an Assistant Professor in Financial Intermediaries (Private Banking).
In his free time Lorenzo enjoys traveling, skiing and horse jumping competitions. Additionally, he has great passion for agriculture and Agri-Tech sector.

Solveig Babinet
Business Development Director
Solveig joined Algebris in 2016 to expand our French speaking investor base.
Previously Solveig was a Partner at Monreith Capital where she co-ran a global financials fund and at Lionstrust as junior PM of an Emerging Markets Financials fund. Prior to this she worked on the sell side with Morgan Stanley in their Equity research team for 10 years covering the banking sector.
Solveig holds a Master of Business from EM LYON Business School, Lyon.
Solveig is half-French half-Dutch and has 3 daughters. She loves music, good food, sport and travel.

Mariko Nishi
CEO Japan
Mariko joined Algebris in 2019 to support and expand our business development in Japan.
She has 14 years of Product Development and Management experience with global asset management companies, and professional operations experience of 10 years at a Japanese trust bank as well as an asset management company.
She previously worked for the Product Development and Implementation team at Schroder. Prior to that, she worked at Fidelity and Russell Investments, and her career started in Mitsui-Sumitomo Trust Bank.
She graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Her hobby used to be riding motorcycles, but now she has three young daughters and changed to swimming, skiing and watching baseball games (she is a big fan of “Hiroshima Toyo Carp “ – her hometown’s professional baseball team) with them.

Shintaro Takada
Business Development Associate
Shin joined Algebris in 2021 to expand our Japan business.
His responsibilities include sales/fundraising, product promotion, due diligence, and the onboarding process in Japan. He worked for Fidelity for 5 years as an Institutional sales and assistant product strategist.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from Hitotsubashi University and is a CMA charter holder.
In his free time, he enjoys playing boxing with a professional license and Shogi (Japanese chess). He grew up in Hakodate City in Hokkaido and loves Hokkaido’s food and products.
Client Relations

Katie Ryan
Client Relations Associate
Katie joined Algebris in 2023 to support the Client Relations team.
She is a recent graduate with a MSc in Finance (Investment and Asset Management) from University College Cork.
She also holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from the University of Limerick, where she majored in Economics and Finance and minored in Globalization.
Katie joins us from Alter Domus where she has been working as a Private Debt Analyst.
Outside of work Katie enjoys the outdoors, travelling and experiencing new cultures, as well as playing Camogie.

Giuseppe Carriere della Giusta
Client Relations Associate
Giuseppe joined Algebris in 2023 to support the Client Relations Team.
Giuseppe is a recent graduate with an MScs in International Finance from Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics. He also holds a Bachelor in International Economics and Management from Bocconi University.
During his studies, Giuseppe gained experience in Private Equity at DeA Capital and in financial services, through projects on ESG transition and banks regulatory framework at PwC Italy.
Italian national, Giuseppe earned his IB from the British School of Milan and is also fluent in Spanish, as he attended an exchange semester at Universidad Católica del Uruguay in Montevideo. Outside of work he enjoys backpacking, volunteering, and playing football and tennis.

Iliyana Tsankova
Head of Client Relations
Iliyana joined Algebris in 2016 and is currently Head of Client Relations. She works closely with the Business Development team to enable the growth of Algebris’ distribution network and product offering, while supporting existing investors, platforms and distributors globally. Before Algebris, Iliyana worked for Morgan Stanley as an analyst for the UCITS funds platform FundLogic.
Iliyana is a CFA charter holder and has an MSc in Finance and Economics from the London School of Economics. In addition, she holds a BA (Hons) in Economics and BA in Business Administration from the American University in Bulgaria.
Outside of work, Iliyana enjoys travelling, yoga and hiking. She lives in London with her partner and daughter.

Lilla Szasz
Client Relations Senior Associate
Lilla joined Algebris in 2021 to support the Client Relations team.
Prior to joining Algebris, Lilla worked for CACEIS Bank in Luxembourg as an Investor Services Officer and beforehand at BlackRock in Budapest as a Client Experience Senior Associate. She started her career at KPMG in 2014.
She graduated in International Economy and Business at the Corvinus University of Budapest and holds an Msc in International Management (CEMS) with an exchange at HEC Paris.
She speaks English, Italian, French and Hungarian. In her free time, she enjoys doing ballet and discovering new places.

Magdalene Lim
Client Relations Senior Associate
Magdalene joined Algebris in 2023 to support our business in Asia ex-Japan from the Singapore office. Her responsibilities include supporting the Business Development Mangers/Directors for Asia in the sales/fundraising process and client relations & client servicing for existing investors.
Magdalene brings with her more than 14 years of significant experience in both institutional and intermediary client servicing. Prior to Algebris, she worked for Schroders and beforehand she spent 7 years at abrdn as a Client Service Manager where she covered the institutional and intermediary client relationship management for Southeast Asia and Korea. Previously she was a Sales & Marketing Support Specialist at Natixis AM, focusing on institutional clients for Asia Pacific ex Japan.
She holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) degree from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.
Outside of work, Magdalene loves travelling (especially road trips), good food and music.

Niamh Gleeson
Head of Distribution, Ireland
Niamh joined Algebris as the Designated Person for Distribution (Ireland) in 2020. Niamh has over 20 years of experience in Asset Management, working in Ireland and Bermuda with UCITS and AIFs from a range of domiciles and investment strategies.
Most recently, Niamh worked as a senior member of the Outsourcing Control Team with Amundi (Ireland), responsible for oversight and support of international proprietary and third-party services providers to the management company; managing any regulatory, operational and product initiatives impacting those services. Previously, Niamh held positions in Business Development & Investor Relations at Pioneer Investments, BNY Mellon and JP Morgan.
Niamh holds a BA (Hons) Degree in European Studies from University College Cork. Niamh is based in Dublin and in her free time enjoys road biking, hiking and yoga.

Pauric Donnelly
Client Relations Associate
Pauric joined Algebris in 2022 to support the Client Relations team.
Prior to joining Algebris, Pauric worked at Citco as part of the Client Integration Relations Team, onboarding and maintaining relationships with large Hedge Funds and Private Equity firms.
Pauric holds a Bachelor of Economics and Finance from Queens University Belfast.
In his free time, Pauric enjoys most sports but in particular Golf and Football. He also has a passion for fitness and holds a certification in Personal Training.

Sanjhali Agarwal
Client Relations Senior Associate
Sanjhali joined Algebris in 2020 to help support the Client Relations team.
Prior to joining Algebris, she worked for BlackRock as an analyst where she was responsible for the production of due diligence questionnaires for institutional clients.
Sanjhali completed her MBA in International Business and B.Tech in Computer Science from Amity University, India.
In her free time, Sanjhali enjoys meditating and spending time with her family.

Susan Spagnolini
Client Relations Senior Associate
Susan joined Algebris Client Relations team in 2016. She currently oversees and coordinates client servicing efforts for Italian investors, ensuring seamless communication and support within Algebris.
Susan obtained her MSc in Management and Strategy from the London School of Economics. In addition, she holds a BA (Hons) in International Economics, Management and Finance from Bocconi University.
During her studies, Susan participated in volunteering projects involving underprivileged children in Italy and the UK. She was classically trained in ballet for 15 years following the method of the Royal Academy of Dance.

Teresa Maiello
Client Relations Senior Associate
Teresa joined Algebris in 2024, supporting the Client Relations team.
Previously she worked in Quaestio Capital SGR, where she was in charge of Client Service for both retail and institutional clients.
She also gained experience in Fund Distribution and Fund Administration of UCITS funds at Caceis, StateStreet Bank and BNP Paribas Securities Services.
Teresa holds a degree in Economics & Finance from Bocconi University.
Great passionate about travelling, sailing and nature, she volunteers at a dog rescue centre in her spare time.

Yuko Takenaka
Client Relations Analyst
Marketing and Communication

Andrea Molteni
Marketing and Design Manager
Andrea joined Algebris in 2021. He oversees visual design, digital marketing, advertising and overall design activities globally. He supports Algebris’ growth by crafting the brand’s messages to best communicate with stakeholders and distribution channels.
Since 2013, he has held positions as Communication Designer for several companies, including three years as a teacher at Scuola Mohole in Milan, where he held movie design and film-making courses.
He holds a MSc in Communication Design from Politecnico in Milan.
He enjoys swimming, reading, and spending time with his daughter.

Daniela Spataro
Junior Marketing Designer
Daniela joined Algebris in 2024 and works within the marketing team as a Junior Marketing Designer, helping develop and implement design strategies that support marketing campaigns.
Prior to this she worked as a Graphic Designer for retail companies based in the UK, helping the team with digital and print graphics.
Daniela’s holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree in Visual Communication from Leeds Arts University.

Simonetta Tumino
Marketing Associate
Simonetta joined Algebris in 2022 as an intern and is now Junior Marketing Associate, supporting the team in communication and marketing initiatives.
She holds a Master’s degree in Markets and Business Strategies and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Management from Catholic University of Milan.
Simonetta loves travelling and is passionate about dancing, swimming and pilates.

Marta Pizzamiglio
Marketing Manager
Marta joined Algebris’ Marketing team in 2020. She currently oversees the brand positioning and communication strategy globally, being responsible for media relations and client events.
Prior to joining Algebris, Marta worked at Boston Consulting Group in their Milan Marketing team, supervising the organisation of events throughout Italy.
She holds an MA in International Business from the University of Greenwich and a BA in Foreign Languages and International Relations from Università Cattolica in Milan.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking and yoga, and she is also very passionate about travelling and reading.