Jonathan is responsible for asset allocation and high-level thought leadership around listed and private markets. Extensively networked and with deep investment management experience, he is also directly engaged with many of the Universum client relationships.

Jonathan has accumulated 30 years of experience in financial services, predominantly within the Wealth & Asset Management and Private Equity & Venture Capital sectors. He has built a range of financial services businesses globally, across multiple jurisdictions.

He has chaired Investment Committees that managed multiple asset class investments across the globe. He previously led (as CEO) Close Brothers Asset Management, Principal Capital (AIM-listed), Prescient Wealth Management, and Nedbank Private Bank (Joint CEO).

Jonathan is a Rhodes University Economics graduate.

In addition to partnering with Jonathan in guiding Universum strategy and development, Chris is directly responsible for investment governance and many of the key stakeholder relationships.

Chris was CEO of the Mako Group, leading a global multi-asset derivative trading business for over 10 years. During this period, he launched an award-winning investment management business. He has retained an active, committed interest in both investment management and venture capital thereafter. He has extensive entrepreneurial and scale-up experience in addition to broad-based corporate governance activities.

Chris has accumulated over 29 years of financial services industry experience. Prior to joining Mako, he started his career as an analyst at Morgan Stanley before joining Credit Suisse. Chris is a Chartered Accountant (ACMA), An Associate of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (ACSI) and holds a degree in Economics BA(Hons) from Heriot-Watt University.

Bradley is chair of the investment committee and is responsible for coordinating all portfolio management discussion. Highly technical and with extensive analytical experience, he oversees the design of all investment management models and the related data libraries. Additionally, Bradley is the lead portfolio manager of the Universum Multi-Asset and Global Equity portfolios.

Bradley has 20 years’ Investment and Risk Management experience and previously fulfilled the joint roles of Head of Research and Fund Manager (global equity fund) during the nine years he was at Sasfin Wealth. Prior to this, he gained experience in various quantitative, investment and management positions during his five years at Nedbank Capital, two years at Standard Bank Group (SBG) Securities and five years at Momentum.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Witwatersrand and has completed various actuarial exams through IoFA London.

Sean is the lead portfolio manager of Innovus, the Universum global innovation portfolio, and also coordinates much of Universum’s private market investment activities. Dynamic and exceptionally well networked, Sean deploys the learnings and information from a wide range of sources to shape Universum’s views on major disruptive, technology-led trends and investment themes.

His 11 years of financial services experience have been predominantly spent in Wealth & Asset Management and the Private Equity and Property sectors. Sean was previously a Portfolio Manager at Sasfin Wealth and a member of the Sasfin Private Client Investment Committee responsible for Global Multi-Asset and the Innovation Portfolio.

He is a CFA Charterholder, obtained an Investment Management degree from the University of Stellenbosch and an Honours Degree in Portfolio Management & Financial Analysis (Cum Laude) from the University of Cape Town.​ He is a keen golfer, squash player and outdoor enthusiast.

Roger has over 30 years of experience in financial markets. He started his career in Frankfurt, trading for institutional clients across the fixed income and equity derivative markets. Following his return to London at Mako Group, he specialised in advising some of Europe’s largest pension and insurance companies on hedging and income enhancement strategies. 

He was also responsible for managing a successful partners capital fund which invested in alternative investments including hedge funds, absolute return strategies and private market opportunities. Roger was instrumental in securing institutional seed capital to help launch Mako‘s in house fund offering, as well as sitting on several risk and oversight committees.

Since leaving Mako, Roger has been a consultant and strategic advisor to several startup companies as well as holding senior board positions. Roger has a BA Joint Honours degree in French and German from King’s College London and holds the IMC and DipFA.

Andrew has spent the last 17 years in the investment management and advice industry. Initially as a successful Wealth Manager to UHNW families and individuals and thereafter in various regional and national management roles. 

Andrew ran the Wealth and Investment business for South Africa’s largest bank, later as Head of Advice he was additionally responsible for setting the advice philosophy and process, also chairing the Product Committee, which approved investment products and platforms. Andrew was also a member of the Private Client Asset Allocation Committee and was the Key Individual for the advisory businesses. 

For the last 6 years Andrew was a Senior Portfolio Manager with Ashburton Investments in London, the offshore investment arm of the FirstRand Group. Andrew has a total of 25 years’ experience in financial services. He holds a Commerce Degree in Accounting and Economics, a Master’s Degree in Business Leadership and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.

Calum has two and a half years experience in financial services. Prior to joining, he was a generalist multi-asset analyst at a boutique fund manager, where he was responsible for equity and credit analysis both on the JSE and globally, as well as helping to manage a flexible unit trust.

He obtained his Honours in Financial Analysis from the University of Stellenbosch and is currently a CFA Level 3 candidate.

Peter is Head of Operations and forms part of our Cape Town-based operations team. Peter is responsible for managing internal processes, including onboarding, client service and trading.

Peter has three years of experience in Financial and Client Services. In Peter’s previous role as an In-House Investment Specialist, he was responsible for the monitoring, reporting and analysing of client portfolios.

He obtained his Honours in Financial Analysis from the University of Stellenbosch and and has currently passed CFA Level III.

As a Client Services Specialist, Ciska optimises business success, performance, and development by overseeing all aspects of client administration, service, compliance, and onboarding processes, ensuring efficient business management. She excels at building and maintaining strong client relationships, ensuring customer retention by diligently attending to KYC and KYB requirements and managing client queries and concerns.

Ciska joined the financial investment industry in 2015, acquiring unique skills and capabilities throughout her diverse and rewarding career..

In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband and their four-legged child, Axel.

Stephanie is a Partner at Universum.  She is responsible for overseeing the Firm’s legal matters, and assists Chris with managing the Firm’s global platform, providing key input around governance, finance matters, and strategic business development.

Prior to joining the Universum team, Stephanie enjoyed a lengthy career at Mishcon de Reya Solicitors in London, where she specialised in all aspects of family law, with a particular emphasis on complex, multi-jurisdictional financial remedy cases for ultra-high net worth individuals.  These cases usually involved international trusts and corporate assets, complex remuneration structures and were often heavy with allegations of non-disclosure or dissipation. Stephanie’s work also encompassed the additional issues that a client may face during separation or divorce, such as reputation management, tax, corporate and commercial advice.

Stephanie completed her Law LLB Degree at Exeter University, and her subsequent LPC Diploma at the College of Law in London.

His broad commercial experience, coupled with his versatile skillset and calm demeanour make him a hugely valuable contributor at board level and across the business. Chris serves on the Investment Committee for Universum Global Ventures and he is an impactful mentor for both teams and individuals across the group.

Chris founded and scaled a multinational Technology Advisory & Business Transformation Services organisation, successfully selling to a strategic buyer in 2016. He continued as CEO, achieving further 10x bottom line growth before exiting in 2020. He also served as Executive Chairman of Diagonal Consulting Inc, which he acquired in 2013 and sold 3 years later at 30x ROIC to a PE backed investor following a transformational program that expanded the managed service organization to offer strategic advisory, business transformation and enterprise solutions across United States.

Chris has engaged at C-level of large enterprise in global SAP transformation programs and worked with Private Equity firms APAX, CVC and THL to lead global transformational separation programs for their portfolio companies.

He completed his articles at Deloitte, is a Chartered Accountant and holds degrees in Commerce B.Comm Honours from University of South Africa and a B. Comm (University KZN)