SIMON HOPKINS
 
Simon Hopkins

Welcome

TO SIMON HOPKINS’ PERSONAL DATABANK

Simon Hopkins is a professional fund manager whose clients include public funds and some of the world’s leading families. He has been a pioneering investment manager, a champion of investors rights, as well as a serial entrepreneur, building innovative businesses driven by his personal convictions and a better deal for stakeholders. His interests include university venturing, sustainable agriculture, and visiting and contributing to the progress of the many countries in which he invests. A committed climate change warrior, Simon and his colleagues at Milltrust recently launched a fund to invest in Asian companies which are at the forefront of combatting climate change. The fund has committed to distribute up to 40 percent of the fee income it generates to the world’s leading ecology charity, WWF, to protect wildlife and their habitats.

 

Simon Hopkins is a renaissance man. He is an industry pioneer, a global connector, and a valued mentor. He has a keen interest in life sciences and up to date on the latest discoveries and trends. His network spans three continents. The world needs more people like him.”  Dr Raja Kamal, Senior Director of NUS Medicine International Council, Former Director of International Development, Harvard University


“I have worked with Simon for more than a decade. I often joked that Simon is a walking Rolodex. His global connectivity is mind-boggling.”
 Jack Schwager, best selling author of Market Wizards

 

“Simon’s profound interest in finding solutions to global challenges is indisputable. His indefatigable nature means he never takes no for an answer.” Professor Roger Foo, Professor – Department of Medicine, Senior Consultant, Division of Cardiology, National University Heart Centre, National University Hospital, Assistant Dean, Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

 

I’ve known and collaborated with Simon over the past 8 years, and in that time I’ve never failed to be impressed with the expertise and depth of experience he’s been able to bring to the wide variety of investment opportunities with which he’s involved. His standing and reputation in the investment community are a testament to his personal and professional integrity.” Danny Howell, Former Head of Wealth Management for Asia at Willis Towers Watson

 

Within this site, you will find information about Simon’s career, past and present.

About

SIMON HOPKINS IS A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR WHO HAS BEEN A SENIOR FIGURE IN THE INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.

Simon Hopkins, serves as CEO of Milltrust International Group in Singapore, and CEO of Milltrust Ventures Pte Ltd (Singapore). He is also Chairman of East West Private Wealth, a unique multi-family office and Swallowcourt, a UK social care enterprise.

He is a successful entrepreneur and investment professional and has been a senior figure in the international investment management industry for more than two decades.

Mr. Hopkins started his career at British bank S.G. Warburg, subsequently holding senior roles at HSBC James Capel and Nomura International. In 1996 Mr. Hopkins created Global Fund Analysis, one of the industry’s first dedicated research and investment consulting businesses with over 27,000 registered users at its peak.

Concurrently, Mr. Hopkins played a pioneering role in seeding many European hedge funds through the Fortune Group, an award-winning alternatives investment advisory, and fund of hedge funds business. Fortune Group went on to become one of the UK’s pre-eminent multi-asset advisory firms managing over 7bn USD, with clients in 24 countries and a focus on pension funds, charities and endowments, as well as a number of the world’s leading families. The firm was successfully sold to Close Brothers Group PLC in 2006, culminating in its full integration in January 2010.

In 2011, Mr. Hopkins founded impact-focused Milltrust International in Singapore dedicated to the mantra of “Sustainable Prosperity”, and operating an award-winning, FCA authorised, investment platform focusing on three key secular themes: the development of Emerging Markets, with long term ESG focused investments across 32 developing countries, Agricultural Investments, and Science & Technological innovation. In 2015, Milltrust launched the British Innovation Fund (BIF), partnering with the leading Universities and Centres of Innovation in the UK and around the world. Since 2016, the Singapore-based Venture Fund Management Company, Milltrust Ventures, a Milltrust affiliate regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has made over 80 successful private investments focused principally on the themes of Health, Food and Planet. The public equity funds managed by the group include the multi award-winning Global Emerging Markets Fund range and Climate Impact Asia Fund.

Since 2023, Mr. Hopkins chairs East West Private Wealth (EWPW), which is a global sustainability-focused multi-family office launched by Milltrust International.

Additionally, Mr. Hopkins acts as an adviser to the board and was previously an investment manager at CerraCap Ventures, an early-stage technology investor based in California. He is chairman of the board of Swallowcourt Holdings, a UK social care operator, and until 2022, was a founding director of Roslin Technologies (University of Edinburgh). Simon was also a founding director of Novare Fund Manager, one of the largest indigenous African asset management firms, and CITIC Investment Partners’ One Belt One Road Fund. He currently serves as a member of NUS Medicine International Council, Singapore where he sits on the Kickstart investment committee, helping to mentor breakthrough science.

Today, Mr Hopkins focus is on world beating Agri science, innovation in health and wellness, and high impact climate focused investing. In Singapore, Milltrust affiliates have already made an investment into Green Feed Company, Protenga Pte Ltd, along with Enterprise Singapore’s SEEDS Fund, and also backed My Doc, the largest telehealth business in the region. In 2020, he and his team at Milltrust launched the award-winning Climate Impact Asia Fund, a unique initiative in partnership with WWF, Hong Kong to back companies dedicated to decarbonisation in Asia.

He graduated with honours from the University of Bristol’s Faculty of Law in 1986 and speaks fluent French. In 2017, Mr Hopkins completed the FT Non-Executive Director Diploma in Singapore.

He resides permanently in Singapore with his wife, but travels extensively.

Recent Appearances

Simon is a regular commentator on fund industry topics in the financial media including Bloomberg and CNBC. He has addressed numerous conferences, the OECD and the London School of Economics.

  • Simon discussed the challenges that India poses for LPs at VCCircle’s flagship Limited Partners Summit 2016.

  • In an interview with GFODC, Simon spoke about Milltrust’s dedication to sustainability, drawing from his personal and professional experience.

    https://www.milltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/GFOC_Simon-Hopkins-article.pdf

  • Simon spoke with the Korean TV programme ‘Global Science’ about the performance of emerging markets, inflation, and recommended stock picking.

    View

     

  • Milltrust’s Simon Hopkins talks about the WWF Climate Impact Asia Fund, Emerging Markets, Decarbonization and the importance of China.

  • Simon Hopkins addresses the KBC Family Office event and talks about the growth in prioritising global mobility in a post pandemic world.

    https://youtu.be/ETE-80Wbw_o

  • In this video Simon talks to Roslin Tech’s David Clarke about what attracted him to Roslin Tech, and what investors are looking for in the AgTech space at the moment.

  • Simon Hopkins hosts webinar on COVID-19 and the future of healthcare.

  • Simon Hopkins interview by Hankyung Korea Business News

  • Live from SALT Abu Dhabi 2019 SALT Voices with Natasha D’Souza

    https://youtu.be/PmR-KbkEhgM

  • Speaking at Campden’s Family Office event in Abu Dhabi on Milltrust’s critical imperative to marshall institutional capital into the greatest challenges of our time with specific focus on backing companies in the Low Carbon economy.

  • Simon Hopkins, speaking at SALT, Abu Dhabi on the risks of climate change and how Milltrust is mobilising institutional capital into dedicated climate solutions through The Climate Impact Asia Fund.

  • Simon Hopkins on Vox Media (27 July 2019)

  • Simon Hopkins with Dr. Stu on the N@ked Short Club radio show (9 July 2019)

  • Simon Hopkins with Proactive London on the British Innovation Fund (3 July 2019)

  • Executive Interview with Edison TV (21 March 2019)

  • China will Retreat to Some Extent (11 February 2019)

  • Chairing Milltrust’s Science & Technology Day (23 January 2019)

  • We could see a Prolonged Dollar Weakness (11 January 2019)

  • China Stock’s Valuations Offer a Compelling Story (10 January 2019)

  • Trade War a Lose-Lose Situation for U.S. and China (17 September 2018)

  • Decoupling to Developed, Emerging Markets to Continue (29 October 2018)

  • Emerging Markets’ ‘Sustained Rally’ Expected (29 November 2018)

Early Career (1986-1996)

Simon started his career with SG Warburg & Co in 1986, joining UBS in 1988 as a European equity specialist. From 1990 to 1996, he spent over six years as a French equity market specialist in Paris, first with HSBC James Capel, then Nomura France, where as director of French equities, he built a highly-rated equity sales and research business.

SG Warburg & Co., United Kingdom, Graduate Trainee, Equity Sales (1986-1988)

UBS, United Kingdom, European Equity Specialist (1988-1990)

HSBC James Capel, France, French Equity Market Specialist (1990-1994)

Nomura, France, Director, French Equities (1994-1996)

The Fortune Years (1996-2010)

In 1996 Simon created Global Fund Analysis (GFA), one of the industry’s first dedicated research and investment consulting businesses providing truly independent and objective analysis for investors. At its peak, GFA had over 27,000 registered users around the globe.

Simon played a pioneering role in seeding many of the incipient European hedge funds through the Fortune Group, an award-winning alternatives investment advisory, and fund of hedge funds business which he ran concurrently with GFA, raising over 10bn USD of capital.

Fortune Group went on to become one of the UK’s pre-eminent hedge fund advisory firms, with a focus on pension funds, charities and endowments, as well as a number of the world’s leading families.

The firm was successfully sold to UK-listed, financial services group, Close Brothers Group in 2006, culminating in its full integration in January 2010.

As of the date of the transaction, Close oversaw in excess of $41 billion largely through its trust and asset management activities.

As an independent firm, Fortune managed the award-winning Fortune family of funds, and numerous customised mandates, overseeing US$7 billion for a wide range of institutional clients including insurance companies, private banks, family offices and endowments.

The firm also seeded over 20 single strategy funds during the course of a decade through its unique emerging manager program.

Simon was profiled in a significant interview with FTfm in December 2008.

Many of Fortune Group’s award-winning funds achieved impressive results. Fortune Liquid Trading Portfolio achieved an annual compound return of 11.66% during 2004 -2009, compared to MSCI World P L’s 1.12% annual compound return during the same period.

Fortune’s USD denominated MAP strategy had a 10-year track record (1999-2009), with a realised annual compound return of 6.44%, compared to HFRI Fund of Funds Index’s 5.10% and MSCI World Index return of -0.51% over the same period.

When market conditions were not favourable, Fortune provided strong downside protection. In 2007-2009, when the HFRI Fund of Funds Index and MSCI World P&L registered negative annual return of -1.35% and -10.22% respectively, Fortune Multi Strategy Portfolio recorded a positive 2.98% annual return.

Milltrust International Group (2011 – Present)

In 2011, Simon moved to Singapore to establish Milltrust International Group (Milltrust), a specialist investment organisation focused on delivering sustainable prosperity to its institutional investors.

Milltrust currently offers a unique range of innovative investment solutions investing and has investments across 32 developing public equity markets, farmland investments with over 10,000 hectares of diversified land under cultivation in Australia and New Zealand, and investments in over 82 cutting-edge technology companies around the world operating in the realms of med-tech, life sciences, nanotech, artificial intelligence, deep learning, cyber-security, and alternative energy, the British Innovation Fund and other partnerships.

Milltrust Ventures today manages Future Health and Green Earth Ventures, two funds that have been set up under a VCC at structures in Singapore having been pre-seeded by Milltrust International with 12 cornerstone investments Milltrust is regulated and co-headquartered in the asset management hubs of London and Singapore, and counts an experienced team of institutional investment managers with close to two decades of experience managing institutional assets.

Milltrust has 21 institutional clients and including sovereign funds and corporate and local authority pension funds.

Visit Milltrust Website

EICM (2015 – 2020)

In 2015, Simon launched EICM, a dedicated private wealth initiative in Singapore serving his own family and that of other Singapore-based and global entrepreneurs.

EICM leverages the international reach of Simon and his team to deliver a unique multi-family wealth management service.

East West Private Wealth (2023 – Present)

 

Since 2023, Mr. Hopkins chairs East West Private Wealth (EWPW), which is a global sustainability-focused multi-family office launched by Milltrust International.

EWPW provides personalised and independent wealth planning for ultra-high-net-worth families and individuals around the world. Led by an award-winning team of investment professionals who have been successfully managing investments across the globe for more than two decades, East West Private Wealth is a unique multi-family office proposition providing access to world-class investment management and a wide variety of international counterparties through a single point of contact. With a presence spanning from Singapore to London, Monaco, Geneva, and the UAE, their global reach is anchored in the Asia-Pacific — the heartland of burgeoning private wealth.

Managed by seasoned professionals, their global wealth solutions offer a diverse investment spectrum across all asset classes, meticulously crafted to align with their clients’ unique needs.

Visit EWPW Website

Directorships and Other Business Interests

In 2017, Simon completed the FT Non-Executive Director Post-graduate Diploma in Hong Kong.

Simon Hopkins, serves as CEO of Milltrust International Group in Singapore, and CEO of Milltrust Ventures Pte Ltd (Singapore). He is also Chairman of East West Private Wealth, unique multi-family office and Swallowcourt, a UK social care enterprise.

He sits on the Board of Directors of the Milltrust International Managed Investments ICAV which comprises the British Innovation Fund, the Milltrust Global Emerging Markets Fund, the MAI Buy & Lease Australia & New Zealand Funds. In 2020, he became an advisor to the Climate Impact Asia Fund, an equity impact fund launched in collaboration with WWF Hong Kong, which backs companies that provide a positive impact with respect to the global threat of climate change and our environmental footprint.

He is also Chairman of Milltrust Agricultural Investments Ltd until its sale in 2021 and an advisor to CerraCap Ventures.

On 13 April 2020, Simon was also appointed as one of three members on the Executive Committee of the Kickstart Initiative launched by National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine for his expertise on commercialising medical innovation and breakthroughs in the MedTech and HealthTech space.

He was until recently a director of Roslin Technologies (he co-founded in 2015), CITIC Securities’ One Belt One Road Fund (CSOBOR) and of Novare Fund Manager, an Africa- focused fund manager.

Other Interests

Simon’s varied personal interests include current affairs and international cultures. He has travelled extensively to countries in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa.

He also has an interest in human rights and civil liberties, and a general aversion to violent conflict. Mr Hopkins supports a number of charitable entities including Coram, the Ghurkha Welfare Trust, WWF, Smile Train, Kiva and Friends of the Earth.

In 2009, Simon helped organise the first inter-faith conference on investing for the Three Faiths Forum.

Other interests include sport, theatre, and music.

Until 2019, he was the manager of the Asian Film Fund, advised by Singapore-based movie production company, M! Capital Pte Ltd, which produced over 11 Asian language films, two of which are showcased below.

 

Education and Languages

Simon graduated with honours from the University of Bristol’s Faculty of Law in 1986 and speaks fluent French with some knowledge of Spanish, German, Korean.

Family Life

Simon is married to Korean born Joann Eun Young Jhin, with whom he has three children. Joann is a graduate of Georgetown University (School of Foreign Service). Since 2010 they have made their home in Singapore.

Other Moments

  • With Africa public pension fund officials in Hong Kong

  • Visiting Chinese companies in Shanghai with investors

  • Visit of Narnolia to Singapore 2024

  • British Innovation Fund II Launch Symposium with team

  • Visiting Temasek LifeSciences Laboratory

  • Attending commemoration of Poet for Royal Occasions at House of Lords

  • UK ASEAN meeting in London 2023

  • Visiting the House of Lords 2022

  • Attending COP26 Climate Change events in Glasgow

  • Guest speaker at HORASIS ASIA 2018

  • With former US Senator Jeff Flake

  • Speaking at opening of Deux Fevrier Hotel in Togo

  • Mr Simon Hopkins greets Ambassador Tommy Koh at NIC Event, Singapore 2023

  • Simon Hopkins and Mr Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate Nigeria, 2023

  • Simon Hopkins and Emmanuel Adebayor

  • Simon Hopkins at Commemorative event celebrating CS One Belt One Road Fund’s Investment in Myanmar

  • Simon Hopkins with Senator Ralph Recto, Secretary of Finance, Govt of the Philippines

  • Visiting farmland managers in Uruguay

  • Visiting the Bovespa Exchange in Brazil with clients

  • Visiting the iconic Lochinver station, New Zealand

  • Visiting Iguacu Falls, Brazil

  • Visiting Waitonui Milltrust in New Zealand

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