Trading is tough. Making money trading is even tougher. For inspiration, tips, and good old fashion competition following some of the biggest stars in trading may give you push you need.
Here are a few rising trading stars you need to follow.
Nitin Saigal (33) – CIO at Kora Management
Kora Management began when Bridger Management analysts, Nitin Saigal and Dan Jacobs, left to pursue their own venture. With $50 Million from Bridger, the two quickly built a dynamic firm with interests in Asia and Latin America. Today, Kora manages over $300 Million in assets, with an ever-growing stake in Indian mobile technology.
Ryan Israel (29) – Pershing Square
One of Forbes’ 30 under 30, Ryan Israel left Goldman Sachs to join Pershing Square at the ripe old age of 22. Before joining Pershing, the Wharton graduate, who holds a degree in Economics, oversaw assets mainly in technology, media and telecom sectors. Today, he analyzes a variety of assets with a commitment to value investing that was inspired by his hero Warren Buffett.
Kevin Kaiser (28) – Hedgeye Energy
At 26, Kevin Kaiser aggravated Wall St. with a message to his investors that energy-giant Kinder Morgan was overvalued. He recommended a short, which led to a sharp decline in the company’s stock price. Today, the brazen energy sector head at Hedgeye continues to make noise with a Twitter account that proclaims: ‘I’m the guy that does his job, you must be the other guy.’
Jessica Reed Saouaf (37) – Managing Director and Director of Research at Hall Capital Partners LLC
Ms. Reed Saouaf has enjoyed a long tenure at Hall. Starting with the company in 1999, she dealt primarily with private equity. She’s since worked with distressed investments, equity hedge fund investments, and today she oversees the firm’s research. At 37, she’s already accomplished what accomplished professionals accomplish in a career, and with Hall Capital managing assets worth nearly $30 billion, Ms. Reed Saouaf isn’t done yet.
Chaitanya Mehra (28) – Och-Ziff Capital Management
Mr. Mehra left Goldman Sachs to join the $39 billion hedge fund Och-Ziff Capital Management. As a portfolio manager at Och-Ziff he focuses on energy trading. Earlier this summer, amid falling oil prices and an impending credit crunch on leveraged oil companies, Och-Ziff sold a substantial share of its energy sector holdings, but the Goliath trader, and one of its star managers, shouldn’t be expected to stray too far from energy for long.
Keith Meister (42) – Corvex Management
Mr. Meister is the CIO and Managing Partner at Corvex Management LP. Known for being ‘combative’, ‘combustible’ and relentlessly ‘activist’, the 42-year-old trader has racked up an impressive list of board memberships in energy, technology, pharmaceuticals, gaming and home security–and conquered a fair share of them. Today, Corvex manages over $7 billion in assets and continues to gain traction thanks to Meister’s aggressive leadership.
Alex Denner (46) – Sarissa Capital Management
Like Keith Meister, Alex Denner is a protege of Carl Icahn. And like Meister, Denner is meticulous and aggressive. Denner, who holds a Ph.d. in Biomedical Engineering, places most of his energy and expertise in healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Sarissa Capital Management LP, which he founded and serves as CIO, manages around half a billion dollars in assets in healthcare and consistently finds winners in a notoriously volatile and highly-regulated market. Denner’s biomedical training has, no doubt, proved to be Sarissa’s most valuable asset.
