AIMA

16 January 2009

The Alternative Investment Management Association (“AIMA”), the leading industry body for the global hedge fund industry, has today announced the appointment of Christen Thomson as its Director of Communications.

Mr Thomson was most recently responsible for coordinating global PR for Colliers Macaulay Nichols, the international real estate services provider. Previously, he worked for the BBC in international and UK news as a reporter, news editor and senior producer for more than a decade.

This appointment represents a substantial enhancement of the communications department.  Replacing Emma Mugridge who left the Association in December after nearly 13 years, the Director of Communications will work directly with the CEO, Executive Director, Chairman and Council of AIMA.  AIMA’s communications are directed to its members, policymakers, regulatory and tax authorities, institutional investors, trade associations and the media.

At a time when the hedge fund community must engage more with policymakers and their constituents, Mr Thomson brings to the association a set of skills and depth of communications background that will complement perfectly the hedge fund knowledge held within AIMA. 

Andrew Baker, CEO of AIMA, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Christen to the AIMA team.  We have secured a senior, expert communicator who has demonstrated the skills needed to build further the infrastructure and messages we will deliver to our stakeholders.

This appointment represents a further demonstration of AIMA’s commitment to scale up its policy, regulatory and communications resources.  AIMA and its members are stating clear their assertion that hedge funds are an invaluable part of the financial system, that their benefits are positive and meaningful, and that they stand ready to participate in the revision and improvement of the world’s market regulation.”

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Eoin Brophy or Evan DeBarra (Hume Brophy)
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Editors’ Notes

1. About AIMA

As the global hedge fund association, AIMA, the Alternative Investment Management Association, has 1,280 corporate members worldwide, based in 47 countries.

Members include leading hedge fund managers, fund of hedge funds managers, prime brokers, legal and accounting services and fund administrators.  They all benefit from AIMA’s active influence in policy development, its leadership in industry initiatives, including education and sound practice manuals and its excellent reputation with regulators, worldwide.

AIMA is a dynamic organisation that reflects its membership’s interests and provides them with a vibrant global network. AIMA is committed to developing industry skills and education standards and is a co-founder of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation (CAIA) – the industry’s first and only specialised educational standard for alternative investment specialists. For further information, please visit AIMA’s website www.aima.org

2. About Christen Thomson

Before joining AIMA Christen was Leader of Colliers Macaulay Nichols’ Global PR Group. In addition to coordinating global PR activities for the $1 billion company, he was responsible for creating and editing the first global news website for an international real estate services provider.

Christen spent 12 years at the BBC, joining Radio 5 Live in 1995, and going on to work for Home Newsgathering as a duty news editor and then BBC World and News 24 as senior producer and reporter.

Christen has a degree in Modern History from Oxford University and is married with two children.

 

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