(Repeats NEWSMAKER originally published on May 11, no changes)
*
14 year insider with years on senior executive committee
*
Analysts watch for any possible changes in strategy
*
Becomes one of the most powerful women in fund management
By Nell Mackenzie and Sinead Cruise
LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) -
There are few jobs Robyn Grew has not mastered at the $145 billion hedge fund Man Group, where money keeps rolling in to a fast-growing business she helped to transform.
Grew, named incoming CEO on Thursday, has held executive positions in compliance, trading, legal and operations over 14 years, as Man has evolved from a disparate group of siloed businesses to a big, technology-driven investment manager.
As she becomes one of the most powerful women in fund management, Grew must apply her insights to a host of challenges from mounting competition, expanding regulations and heightening geopolitical tension.
"There aren't many people who have covered as broad a range of activities as she has. She knows the business inside out," said Jonathan Sorrell, president at New York-based $10 billion Capstone, who worked alongside Grew at Man and previously held her current job as president.
"She'll be comfortable making the big calls that are required," he told Reuters.
The London-listed firm will be led by two women for the first time in its 240-year history by the end of 2023, after long-standing CEO Luke Ellis retires in September and Anne Wade replaces veteran banker John Cryan as chair.
Grew showed her mettle alongside CEO Luke Ellis and predecessor Emmanuel (Manny) Roman in executing a decade of repositioning and growth for the hedge fund, said Dev Sanyal, CEO of Varo Energy, and former Man non-executive director.
That achievement, he said, might mean only tweaks are needed.
"There's a nimble agility to the company today and it's not in need of massive change. Robyn has been an ally of Manny and Luke in creating the success of the company," said Sanyal.
Roman doubled the size of Man's executive committee when he took over from Peter Clarke as CEO in 2013. That committee oversaw a revival plan to recoup falling assets and reverse poor stock performance.
Sanyal credited Grew, a member of the leadership team at the time, for subsequently championing the hedge fund's solutions business, where clients were given opportunities to select investment bets and strategies better suited to their needs rather than investing in a one-size-fits-all portfolio.
The business helped Man turn the tide on years of years of erratic net inflows. Man Group now has over 60% of its assets working this way.