Ajit has over 38 years of experience in asset management and financial research and analysis. He founded Quantum Advisors Private Limited in 1990, an India-based SEBI registered Portfolio Manager, a SEC-registered Investment Adviser, and as a "restricted portfolio manager" in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, Mr. Dayal has worked with leading US and UK financial advisory and asset management firms either as a key member of the executive management team or through the Investment Advisor as a joint venture partner.
Between 2000 and 2004, he was the Deputy Chief Investment Officer for Hansberger Global Investors, Inc. ("HGI"), which provided investment advisory services to its own family of mutual funds. Mr. Dayal was recruited to the firm in 1997 by the firm's founder and chief executive officer, Mr. Thomas Hansberger (who had previously been a co-founder, along with Sir John Templeton and Mr. John Galbraith, of Templeton, Galbraith & Hansberger Ltd., a global fund management firm that became part of Franklin Templeton Investments). During Mr. Dayal's tenure as Deputy Chief Investment Officer assets under management at HGI grew from USD 2 billion to USD 5 billion. Mr. Dayal served as the lead manager for USD 2 billion Vanguard International Value Fund from July 2000 to April 2004, leading a four person team for the account. During his time at HGI, Mr. Dayal also continued to manage the Investment Advisor, which was responsible for a USD 70 million allocation to listed Indian equities.
From 1995 to 1997, the Investment Advisor, acting as a sub-advisor, managed an approximately USD 40 million allocation for listed Indian equities for the Prolific India Opportunity Fund, London, England, and an approximately USD 25 million venture capital fund, the Walden Nikko India Ventures Fund, investing in unlisted Indian companies. From 1992 to 1995, the Investment Advisor was the local partner with Jardine Fleming Limited, HK, where Mr. Dayal was instrumental in building a 150 person organization that provided all of Jardine Fleming's research, broking, investment banking and investment management services in India. In 1994 Mr. Dayal also helped to establish the NYSE-listed Jardine Fleming India Fund and had local investing responsibility for approximately USD 300 million of the assets under management in this fund. Mr. Dayal was voted best analyst for India by AsiaMoney in 1993 and 1994 and was also voted best analyst for India by Institutional Investor and nominated to All-Star Asian Team, 1994.
Prior to founding the Investment Advisor in 1990, Mr. Dayal was the Chief Executive Officer of UTI Investment Advisory Services Limited, the Delaware-based investment advisor of The India Growth Fund, a closed-ended fund listed on the NYSE. Mr. Dayal was a "jobber" on the floor of the Bombay Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in Asia, and as a Director of the Ashok Birla Group of companies, focusing on establishing new businesses through joint-ventures with multinational companies such as S. G. Warburg of UK, Shearson Lehman of USA, Yamaha Motor Company of Japan, and 3M of USA.
Mr. Dayal also helped to found, and is a substantial shareholder of Quantum Information Services Limited (an India-focused financial services portal which hosts the web site www.personalfn.com), Primary Real Estate Advisors Pvt. Ltd (a real estate investment advisor information about which can be found at www.primaryindia.com), and HelpYourNGO India Private Limited (an India-focused charity enterprise which hosts www.helpyourngo.com). He has served as a Director on the Boards of Quantum Information Services Limited and Equitymaster Agora Research Private Limited (a 50-50 Joint Venture between QIS & Agora Inc., USA) which provides equity research services and hosts the website www.equitymaster.com, Money Simplified Services Private Limited, PREI Management Ltd, a Mauritius based Investment Manager managing a India based real estate asset portfolio, Common Sense Living Private Limited, Quantum Asset Management Company Pvt. Ltd, the 100 % subsidiary of the Investment Advisor. He is also director of Pacific Pension Institute.
Mr. Dayal earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Bombay University in 1981 and his Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1983.
