Sona Insights

Shaan Lal is a Portfolio Manager at Sona Asset Management. He joined Sona in April 2018 as the first Senior Analyst in the NYC office, and he now runs the Convertibles business across the US, Europe, and Asia.

Mr. Lal started his career in 2009 at SecondMarket, which was a broker-dealer that specialized in illiquid assets including fixed income products, pre-IPO shares, and bankruptcy claims. In 2013, he joined Panning Capital Management which was a long/short credit hedge fund focused on the High Yield and Distressed space.

Mr. Lal holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University with a focus on Finance and Accounting, as well as a minor in Mathematics.

Aviv Merci joined Sona Asset Management in 2019 and is the Head of Investor Relations with responsibility for the Firm’s business development and investor relations activities. Mr. Merci has 9 years of experience in the finance and investment sectors. Prior to joining Sona, Aviv spent nearly 7 years at Pictet Group in the UK and Switzerland in various client-related positions. Mr. Merci earned a B.S. with Highest Honors from the University of Applied Sciences Switzerland and is a CAIA® Charterholder.

Joon Kim is a Senior Analyst at Sona Asset Management focused on special situations and distressed opportunities. He joined Sona in April 2021. Mr. Kim started his career in 2012 as a management consultant at Arthur D. Little. In 2013 he joined Citigroup Global Markets as an investment banking analyst on the Iberian M&A team. In 2016 he joined Oaktree Capital Management as a VP on the Distressed Opportunities team and was responsible for the execution, monitoring and sourcing of public and private investment opportunities in the distressed space.

Mr. Kim received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the ESADE Business School in Barcelona.

Emalee Heim is a Trader at Sona Asset Management focused on the US Investment Grade credit market. Ms. Heim has 11 years of experience in the credit market and joined Sona in February 2021. Ms. Heim started her career at Napier Park Global Capital in 2008 (formerly Citi Capital Advisors) as a portfolio analyst and credit trader. She focused on the IG credit derivative markets, trading index and options, as well as CLOs. In 2015, Ms. Heim was hired by PIMCO in the portfolio management division and held trader and portfolio management roles on the treasury rates desk, bank loan desk, and the investment grade credit desk.

Ms. Heim holds a MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ludovic Walter is a Senior High Yield Analyst at Sona Asset Management. He has 7 years of experience in the credit market and joined Sona in August 2020. Mr. Walter started his credit career in 2015 on the sell-side as a publishing analyst at Barclays where he covered the automotive, building materials, leisure, and specialty finance/debt collectors industries. He moved to the buyside in January 2019 by joining Soros Fund Management where he focused on high yield, stressed and distressed investments.

Mr. Walter holds a BA in economics and political science from Duke University and an MBA from HEC Paris. Prior to his career in credit, Mr. Walter was a professional tennis player with an ATP ranking inside the top 300 in the world. 

Thrishan Ramakrishnan is a Partner and PM at SONA Asset Management. He joined SONA in September 2016 when it began trading. He brings 11 years of experience in the finance and investment sectors.

Mr. Ramakrishnan started his career in 2010 at RBS, working in trade support in their prime broking division. In 2011, he joined Permal Group in an operations role. Mr. Ramakrishnan then moved to Claren Road Asset Management in 2013, assuming the position of trader’s assistant. Two years later, he joined Highbridge Capital as the investment grade credit trader.

Mr. Ramakrishnan holds a BSc in Mathematics with Management from Imperial College London and is a CFA® Charterholder.

Michael is a Partner and senior analyst at SONA Asset Management. He has 27 years of credit market experience and joined SONA when it began trading in September 2016.

Mr. Boam started his career in 1994 as a chartered accountant before transitioning into a high yield credit analyst role in 1997. The majority of his early experience was on the long-only side, holding positions at the United Bank of Kuwait, NewFlag Asset Management (later Putnam investments) and BlueBay, where he was exposed to both US and European HY credit. Mr. Boam spent a brief time on the sell-side at DB and RBS after which he moved into the hedge fund space, working with John Aylward at Claren Road Asset Management and Highbridge Capital.

Mr. Boam holds a BSc in Business Administration and Society and Government from Aston University and is a ACA Chartholder.

Owain Griffiths is a Partner and CapSol Portfolio Manager at SONA Asset Management. He has amassed 20 years of credit market experience, joining SONA in September 2016 as it began trading.

Mr. Griffiths’s career began in 2001 inside Deutsche Bank’s credit risk management department before moving into a credit research role. He transitioned to the buyside in 2007, joining SAC. In 2009, Mr. Griffiths joined Tricadia Capital as a PM specialising in European high yield credit. Owain left Tricadia in 2014 to join Highbridge Capital.

Mr. Griffiths holds a BSc in Economics from University College London and is a CFA® Charterholder.

Christopher Louw is a Partner and PM at SONA Asset Management. He joined SONA in September 2016 when it began trading. He brings 17 years of credit market experience to the team.

Mr. Louw started his career in 2004 at Deutsche Bank in London as an analyst in their credit research division. In 2007, he joined Citigroup as a high yield cash and CDS market maker before being appointed to run their single name CDS business in 2013. He subsequently joined Highbridge Capital in 2015 as a long/short US credit portfolio manager.

Mr. Louw holds a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nottingham.

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Mark Tanase is a Partner and PM at SONA Asset Management. He has 29 years of credit market experience. He joined SONA when it began trading in September 2016.

Mr. Tanase’s career started in 1992 at Mitsubishi Bank in Tokyo, serving on the council for the introduction of ISDA derivatives documentation into the Japanese market. Staying in the city, he moved to Chemical Bank in 1994 to trade foreign JPY credit before relocating to London in 1998 to join Deutsche Bank’s asset swap desk. Still with DB, he transferred back to Tokyo for a year in 2001 before returning to London to run their European financials trading arm. He transitioned into the same role with Goldman Sachs in 2009 where he remained until joining Lucidus Capital Partners in 2014 as a PM.

Mr. Tanase holds a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Michigan.

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Albert Marino joined SONA as Head of Strategic Development in 2021. He has over 30 years of experience in the finance and investment sectors.

The first 10 years of Mr. Marino’s career were spent in project finance at WestLB, Newcourt Capital/CIT and Prudential Insurance Company America. Between 2002-2005, he worked as a credit research analyst at Citigroup, whereafter he cofounded Claren Road Asset Management, taking on the head of research role. In 2009, he was appointed as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, leading a global team of 40 people across functions like trade operations, treasury management, accounting, technology, legal and compliance. Mr. Marino was responsible for the firm’s counterparty relationships, as well as the operational due diligence processes performed by fund investors.

Mr. Marino has a B.S. from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

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Justin Tamaye is the CRO of SONA Asset Management. He has 17 years of experience in risk management, portfolio management, operations, and fund infrastructure. Justin joined SONA in January 2017.

Mr. Tamaye began his career in 2004 at International Hedge Fund Services (now part of State Street). Two years later, he too joined Claren Road Asset Management where he helped to build the operational infrastructure. He went on to serve as the funds senior risk officer between 2010 to 2016.

Mr. Tamaye holds a BBA from the University of Hawaii, an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School and is a CFA® Charterholder.

Iain Colquhoun is the CFO of SONA Asset Management. He joined SONA in June 2018, bringing with him 21 years of experience in fund operations, finance, and infrastructure.

Mr. Colquhoun started his career in 2000 at Globeop Financial Services (now Globeop SS&C) as a fund accountant. He subsequently moved over to the buy-side in 2004, where he worked in operations for Tudor and then ran operations at Finisterre. Mr. Colquhoun then spent several years working abroad from 2006 with the launch of a large fund in Monaco. Following that, he held the positions of COO at Oceanwood in Malta and CFO at Selwood Asset Management.

Mr. Colquhoun holds a BSc in Business Studies from the University of Wales European Business Management School and is a Chartered Accountant and fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

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JP Berkery is a Partner and the COO of SONA Asset Management. He has 19 years of credit market experience and joined SONA when it commenced trading in September 2016.

Starting in 2002, Mr. Berkery spent the first four years of his career between Bank of America and Credit Suisse Asset Management, trading investment grade credit at the latter. He then joined Claren Road Asset Management in November 2005 and was promoted to COO of their London office in October 2010. There he worked closely with John Aylward to build Claren Road’s European credit business. In December 2013, Mr. Berkery was appointed global head of operations, funding and collateral management at Claren Road Asset Management in New York.

Mr. Berkery holds a BSc in Political Science and Government from Georgetown University.

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John Aylward founded SONA Asset Management in March 2016. He draws on 19 years of credit market experience and an enduring entrepreneurial spirit in fulfilling his role as SONA’s CIO.

Mr. Aylward’s career began back in 2002 at Deutsche Bank (DB). There he gained broad credit experience in a variety of roles before being appointed as the head of high yield trading. In May 2010, John left DB to join Claren Road Asset Management, a long/short credit manager, where he headed up their European corporate credit strategy. He joined Highbridge Capital, a multi-strategy firm, in April 2014, to run their European credit business.

Mr. Aylward graduated from Trinity College in Dublin with an LLB Law.