Swiss-based Palladio Alternative Research Group has started operations via its first Geneva-based subsidiary.

Swiss-based Palladio Alternative Research Group has started operations via its first Geneva-based subsidiary.

The new business is designed to provide outsourcing solutions for hedge fund research, due diligence and advisory, mainly to institutional clients. It will include manager identification, due diligence, follow-up and tailormade proposals.

Palladio Alternative Research Group will be headed by Sarah Clar-Boson, founding partner and a former senior hedge fund analyst at Optifin and UBP Alternative Asset Management Group.

The firm's two other partners are Christophe Reech, chief executive and chairman of Reech Aim Group, and Jean-Marc Emden, chief executive of Nassau-based Autana Capital.

In addition, Palladio has set up strategic agreements with Lotus Peak Capital (Singapore) for Asian research coverage and with Castle Hall Alternatives (Canada) for operational due diligence upon request.

"The opportunity set for unbiased, professional hedge fund advice and analysis is a direct outcome of the 2008 crisis, given the obvious conflict of interests between advisory and investment, the Madoff debacle and the failure to complete continuous in-depth due diligence services," says Clar-Boson. "There is an acute shortage of independent alternative research providers: going forward, investors are demanding a more dynamic and personalised dialogue to replace their disappointing relationships with large, traditional organisations. The ongoing complexity and sophistication of hedge fund analysis drives the need for truly neutral third-party specialists and Palladio Alternative Research Group aims to progressively become a significant and trusted player in the space."