Claus Hilpold

FOUNDER & MANAGING PARTNER

Institutional Sales & Manager Selection

Claus is Managing Partner at POLARIS, which he founded in 2008. In his role, Claus is mostly active in business development in the German institutional market and selection of asset managers in the liquid alternatives and private infrastructure space. Before founding POLARIS, Claus was Head of Business Development for Germany and Austria at Harcourt Investment Consulting, Zurich-based alternative investments boutique of the Vontobel Group. Prior to that, Claus was part of the Derivatives Structuring Team at Commerzbank in Frankfurt, where he was responsible for structuring and marketing hedge fund related products. Claus has over 25 years of experience in the industry, is CAIA and CFA charter holder and co-authored three German-language books; “Alternative Investment Strategien", published by Wiley Verlag (2005 & 2013), and "Innovative Investment-Strategien", published by Gabler Verlag (2010). Over the years Claus has published multiple alternative investments related articles, as well as lecturing at the Finanzakademie of the European Business School (EBS). Claus is highly fascinated by new technological developments and therefore it comes as no surprise that he follows the overall development around the topics Crypto Assets, Blockchain and distributed-ledger-technology very closely. In his spare time, he tries to keep up with his younger colleagues with trail running and avoiding injuries during his Krav Maga trainings.

+41 (0)44 365 7082

+41 (0)79 628 8091

Stefan Braegger

MANAGING PARTNER

Institutional Sales & Manager Selection

Stefan is Managing Partner at POLARIS, which he joined in 2014. In his role, Stefan is responsible for business development in institutional markets and selection of asset managers in private equity. Stefan started his career at Akzo Nobel as a financial consultant in Mexico. After returning from Mexico, he joined the private equity team at Partners Group in Switzerland. During his time at Partners Group, Stefan was also a board member of a Spanish perfumery chain, private hospital and direct sales company in Mexico. In 2011, he took on a new opportunity at UBS. As a member of the chief investment office, Stefan was responsible for private market strategies, while also being a principal representative for UBS in Latin America. Stefan holds a master of arts in banking and finance as well as a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of St. Gallen (HSG). When he is not traveling the world with his Mexican Spanish accent and his 3 kids, Stefan can be found trail running in the Swiss mountains, beating cycling records on Strava or cooking for his family at home.

+41 (0)44 365 7085

+41 (0)79 758 5148

Rolf Dreiseidler

MANAGING PARTNER

Institutional Sales & Manager Selection

Rolf is Managing Partner at POLARIS, which he joined in 2017. In his role, Rolf is in charge of business development in the German institutional market and selection of asset managers in the liquid alternatives space. Rolf co-chaired the German Alternative Investments Association (BAI) from 2010 to 2022. Rolf was first exposed to the world of professional finance as a capital markets consultant with Accenture GmbH, Düsseldorf at the turn of the millennium. He proceeded his career by becoming a Managing Director at the German Alternative Investment Association (BAI) in Bonn. In 2004 Rolf became Head Fund of Hedge Funds at Deka Investment GmbH in Frankfurt and 3 years later he moved to Switzerland where he was appointed Head of Institutional Clients Germany at Man Group Plc., a role he held for nearly a decade. Rolf holds a master degree in economics from the University of Bonn. He is a CFA and CAIA charterholder and lecturer at the Finanzakademie of the European Business School (EBS) since 2004. Rolf is passionate about aviation and dynamic shooting disciplines. Trying to stay in shape he recently added Krav Maga to his workout schedule.

+41 (0)44 365 7087

+41 (0)78 641 89 11

Marijn Dumoulin

Vice President

Marijn is Vice President at POLARIS, which he joined in 2023. In his role, he is responsible for business development in the Benelux institutional market and selection of asset managers in private equity. Marijn began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an Associate in the Deals department in Amsterdam. There, he was responsible for company valuations in M&A processes. Two years later, Marijn joined Athos Partners, a private equity placement agent based in Monaco where he was responsible for the sourcing of new fundraising mandates in the Benelux market, management of fundraising processes, as well as the distribution to institutional investors. Marijn holds a master of science in finance as well as a bachelor of science in international business & administration from Tilburg University. In his spare time, he can be found wave surfing and windsurfing. When he is not in the water chasing the perfect wave or wind conditions, Marijn enjoys restoring and driving classic cars.

+41 (0)44 365 7086

+41 (0)76 519 0602

Selene Ramos

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Selene joined POLARIS as Marketing Director in 2022. Selene has over 15 years of professional experience in various marketing roles and industries. She started her professional career in San Francisco (USA) working for a sports marketing agency. She later transitioned to a role in the public sector in charge of Public Relations for the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco. Selene moved to Switzerland to study at the University of Lugano and University of St. Gallen and after completing her master's degree in Communication and Economics, she joined a company in the education sector in Zürich (Switzerland) working in the online marketing department. For 8 years she held several Marketing and Sales roles in the company before deciding to take a professional break to focus on her family. Selene has three small children and loves to spend time hiking the Swiss mountains as well as doing yoga and traveling the world with her family.

+41 (0)44 365 7088

+41 (0)79 794 1836

Manuel Scholz

SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL MARKETING

Our Social Media Professional Manuel joined our team in 2022. Prior to his master's degree in Media Management from the Stuttgart Media University, he also earned a bachelor of science in Online Media Management and successfully completed a professional training in Marketing Communications. During his professional career, Manuel has already worked with companies such as Bosch, FC Bayern Munich and various agencies. Apart from his passion for soccer, Manuel can be found on the tennis courts of the Stuttgart region or the mountains of his mother's homeland: The beautiful South Tyrol.

Silvia Kauer

COMMUNICATIONS, PR & MEDIA

Silvia is our Communications, PR & Media contact and joined our team in 2022. She has been in financial services for more than 20 years working for listed companies (SMI and FTSE) such as Man Group, Swiss Re and Swiss Life, where she held positions in Corporate Communications, PR & Media, as well as in Marketing and in Sales. Silvia is an economist (BBA, Zurich), has a postgraduate degree in Corporate Communications (EMScom, University Lugano/UCLA) and speaks German, English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian and has started to learn Chinese. She enjoys playing badminton, outdoor running and doing yoga.

+41 (0)76 335 63 53

Anna Heinzle

CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER

Anna acts as CCO of POLARIS (Europe) AG, Vaduz, which she joined after the incorporation of the company in October 2022. In this position she is responsible for legal & compliance topics as well as for the risk management of the company. Anna holds several diplomas in legal studies, mainly from Switzerland and Liechtenstein. From June 2016 till August 2022 she advised clients of LLB Fund Services AG on Liechtenstein and European Investment Fund Laws and was a member of various working groups of Liechtenstein Investment Fund Association. Already before joining our Liechtenstein entity Anna got to know POLARIS working part-time for POLARIS Investment Advisory in Zurich. From 2009 to 2016 she held various legal & advisory positions in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, i.a. for CACEIS, Kaiser Partner Trust Services and for a life insurance company. She can communicate in six languages and negotiate in four. She spends her free time walking in the mountains, biking or with piloxing workouts.

+423 (0)388 10 23

Evelyn Hilpold

MANAGING PARTNER

FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES

Evelyn is Managing Partner at POLARIS, which she joined since its foundation in 2008. In her role, Evelyn is responsible for POLARIS HR and finance, as well as office management. Evelyn started her professional career in 1995 when she began her apprenticeship at Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, where she later became a Private Client Advisor. In 2000 Evelyn became a corporate client advisor at Commerzbank AG in Ludwigshafen. After 4 years she took on a new challenge as credit analyst at DZ Bank AG in Frankfurt, before moving to Zurich in 2004. In Switzerland, Evelyn covered the role of junior product manager at private banking operations and product coordination corporate & retail banking at Credit Suisse. Evelyn holds the Diplom-Bankbetriebswirtin (Bankakademie). In addition to being a loving mother of two children, Evelyn also takes very good care of her POLARIS colleagues, treating them with healthy food to support their sporty habits.

+41 (0)44 365 7084

+41 (0)79 821 0807

Moritz Pfenninger

IT Analyst

Moritz joined our team as IT Analyst in 2024. He is currently studying for a master’s degree in data science at HSLU after completing his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering at the ZHAW School of Engineering. During his studies, he developed an interest in the field of big data. As a result, Moritz continued his professional career in IT consulting and has since successfully completed numerous IT projects in various areas and on various platforms. He is characterized by his great interest in technical topics, data and, above all, automation. With his focus on innovation and data, Moritz strives to explore technologies and data to develop impactful solutions for organizations. Outside of his studies, Moritz enjoys sports and has been playing football for 15 years.

Martin Schweikhart

LEGAL COUNSEL

Martin Schweikhart, started collaborating with POLARIS in October 2022 as Legal Counsel. He is an independent consultant with over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He advises several clients such as Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (Pimco) and acts as counsel with Lindemann Law, a Zurich based boutique Law firm specialized in asset management. Martin is also an independent director for regulated funds in Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands as well as for regulated financial companies in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. From 2000 until 2017 Martin worked in several senior positions for Man Group Plc in particular head of Global Sales Strategy and Head of Product Development & Management, Fund Financing & Brokerage. Martin is an experienced senior executive in product development, product lifecycle management, financing, brokerage & distribution with specialist knowledge of mutual funds worldwide in particular UCITS but also alternatives funds in particular hedge funds, private debt and fund linked structured products, fund financing and brokerage. Martin holds a law degree (Zweites Juristisches Staatsexamen) from the University of Mainz, Germany, and a post-graduate qualification as LL.M. from the University of Hong Kong. Martin has been appointed as expert witness for structured hedge fund products by the district court of Zurich and is a qualified lawyer in Germany. During his free time, he enjoys adventurous travel to remote places of the world and all types of exercise to stay fit although he has not the aspiration to match up with his younger POLARIS colleagues.

+423 388 10 20

Marc Lau

SENIOR ADVISOR ASIA

Marc Lau is a Managing Partner at Axiom Asia (www.axiomasia.com) which manages over US$7.0 billion in private equity strategies focused on funds in Asia. Marc is responsible for Axiom’s investments in Japan, South East Asia and Australia. Marc has 17 years of PE experience in Asia in addition to having operational experience in China. Marc was part of the founding investment team at Axiom Asia and works on primary, secondary and co-investment transactions. Prior to Axiom Asia, Marc worked at the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (“GIC SI”) in Singapore and San Francisco where he worked on investments in funds as well as companies. After leaving GIC SI in 2004, Marc attended Harvard Business School and worked for Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) where he was the Deputy General Manager of Jacobs VIE Vehicle Systems, Danaher’s diesel engine brake business in China. Marc led the start-up of the manufacturing plant, managed the transition of a multi-million-dollar product line to China and successfully transitioned the business to a local team he recruited. Marc was also formerly an Analyst at Lazard Frères in New York and has served as a member of the Resource Panel for the Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance, Trade, and Industry in Singapore since 2011. Marc attended Harvard Business School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with Departmental Honors and Distinction from Stanford University. Marc reads and writes English and Chinese.

Dajana Brodmann

SENIOR ADVISOR INFRASTRUCTURE

Dajana Brodmann is a Senior Advisor of POLARIS since 2022. Mrs. Brodmann started her career at Bayerische Versorgungskammer in Munich in 2005 where she was Deputy Head of Alternative Investments. In 2012 she moved to Düsseldorf where she became the Head of Alternative Investments & Equities at Versorgungswerk der Wirtschaftsprüfer. After 4 years she joined E.ON SE (Group Finance / Asset Management) and took over the responsibility of the Private Equity- and Infrastructure Portfolio of E.ONs CTA. Mrs. Brodmann studied Business Administration and is a CAIA Charterholder. Dajana Brodmann is also a member of the Industry Board at YielCO Investments AG.

Pablo Lopez de Ayala

SENIOR ADVISOR PRIVATE EQUITY

Pablo López de Ayala is a Senior Advisor of POLARIS since 2021. Pablo is an investment professional responsible for private equity assets at Omega Capital, one of the main Single Family Offices in Spain. With 15 years of Private Equity experience, Pablo has invested in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific and has ample experience in managing portfolios of private equity funds. Pablo started his career in financial consulting and capital markets but quickly found his passion for private markets. He is a CAIA Charterholder and has lectured on Private Equity and Real Estate at different executive programs in Spain. He has also collaborated with INSEAD in some research projects within its Private Equity and Venture Capital course. Pablo graduated in Economics and Law from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, mastered in Economics and Finance at CEMFI (Bank of Spain) and holds an Executive MBA from IESE Business School.

John Fraser

SENIOR ADVISOR PRIVATE DEBT

John Fraser is a Senior Advisor of POLARIS since 2019. Mr Fraser started his career as a portfolio manager at Merril Lynch Asset Management in 1991, a position he held for six years. From 1997 to 2005 John was Managing Director at Angelo, Gordon & Co, and in 2005 he joined 3i Debt Management US, LLC as a Managing Partner. In 2017 he became Managing Director and Head of Investcorp Credit Management US LLC, a position he held until April 2019. John is currently still supporting the Investcorp Credit Management team in an advisory capacity. In 2022, John joined Tikehau Structured Credit as Chairman. John is a graduate of Cornell University where he read History.

Johannes Jasper

SENIOR ADVISOR LIQUID ALTERNATIVES

Johannes Jasper is a Senior Advisor of POLARIS since 2022. Johannes started his career as a Portfolio Manager at Bayerische Versorgungskammer, Munich, where he was in charge of the hedge fund and commodity investment portfolios. Subsequently, he spent a few years with a German Single Family Office in Frankfurt am Main where Johannes helped to build up the offshore hedge fund portfolio and took care of the liquid absolute return investments. Since 2016 Johannes works at Siemens Pensions in Munich, where he is currently Head of Asset Management. Given his extensive network and knowledge about niche and alpha strategies, Johannes frequently acts as an invited speaker on conferences globally and works as a publisher. Johannes holds a BSc degree in finance from the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, a MSc degree in Portfolio Management from the University of Liechtenstein and is a CAIA Charterholder.

David Hansen

Senior Advisor Private Debt

David Hansen is a Senior Advisor of POLARIS since 2023. David started his career working for Bankhaus Lampe and Santander. In 2020 David joined Kapital 1852 to set up the first the Private Debt and later the Infrastructure Fund of Funds Business. In 2024 David joined LBBW Asset Management as Head of Private Debt & Infrastructure. In his role as Lead Fund Manager and Investment Committee Member, he is responsible for the entire investment process, from sourcing new opportunities to investment decisions and downstream portfolio monitoring. David has 10 years of professional experience in Alternative Investments, M&A, Strategy & Governance and Credit & Risk. David holds a M.Sc. in Business Administration/Finance from the University of Cologne.

Simon Faure

Senior Advisor Private Equity

Simon Faure is a Senior Advisor of POLARIS since 2024. He is the Managing Director of IH International Advisors, a private equity advisory business with offices in London and New York, owned by the Interogo Foundation. The foundation's mission is to secure the independence and longevity of the Ikea Concept and maintain the financial reserves needed to ensure this. Simon leads a global team of investment professionals who invest globally and cross-sector across primary and secondary fund investments and co-investments. Prior to joining IH in 2021, Simon spent 16 years at M&G Investment’s private equity team and he has over 20 years’ experience investing in private equity. Simon has a History degree from University of Southampton.

Daniel Czimer

Senior Advisor Private Equity

Daniel Czimer is a Senior Advisor of POLARIS since 2024. He manages the global private equity investments of kjup Capital, a family office located in Hamburg, Germany. Prior to joining kjup Capital, Daniel worked 13 years for CAM Alternatives and its predecessor companies (including VCM Capital Management and DB Private Equity) in Munich, Cologne and Asia (Thailand, Singapore). CAM Alternatives was a fund of fund manager with a focus on customized solutions in non-traditional assets, primarily private equity and private debt. The firm recently merged with Altamar Capital Partners to form AltamarCAM Partners. Daniel studied economics at the Eberhard-Karl-University in Tubingen and at the California State University of Long Beach.