Luke and Gideon founded Ferguson Hyams with a common belief that a fantastic investment product could be made by combining talented alternative investment managers from around the world with a proven history of great risk-adjusted alternative fixed income styled returns and providing them with a platform of risk control and governance.
Additionally, they both believed that the asset bubble, created by central bank zero-rate policies since the global financial crisis in 2008, was nearing its conclusion as central banks begin to normalise their interest rate and quantitative easing policies.
Therefore, they saw a great need for an investment product that will deliver solid annual returns with controlled volatility without relying on this asset bubble to continue indefinitely.
Our mission is to connect wholesale investors to our asset backed alternative high yield funds, which target solid, stable returns, regardless of the direction of stock markets and other global markets.
Luke Ferguson is the Chief Executive Officer and Responsible Manager for the AFSL. Prior to co-founding FHIM he was a director of a global alternative and automated trading research company for wholesale investors and high pedigree traders.
The company, under Luke’s leadership was positioned to fast-track the process of matching high quality trading strategies to international investor mandates. Luke was responsible for systematising the risk management frameworks into the trading system to be leveraged by the trading teams and onboarding domestic and international traders. Luke holds RG146 qualifications in Derivatives, Foreign Exchange, Securities and Managed Investments.
Gideon Hyams is the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and prior to co-founding FHIM he served UBS in a number of capacities for over 17 years, more than half of that time as Managing Director in Zurich.
In a stellar career at UBS he was the youngest banker to be appointed Director. He managed one of the largest FX derivative portfolios in the market with in excess of 10,000 option and cash positions representing a notional value of several billion dollars. He consistently produced annual profits in excess of USD $80million and under his leadership secured the prestigious Risk Magazine Currency Derivatives House of the Year Award.
His technical expertise lies in trading and risk-managing the breadth of exotic and vanilla derivative positions. His business expertise is evident in his management of high performing teams of traders and in developing and implementing systematised risk management and pricing protocols.
Educated in England, Gideon holds an Honours degree in Physics from University of Oxford and professional qualifications in Financial Planning, Derivatives and was ranked in the top 3 of Swiss Bank Capital Markets Classes in Pricing and Risk Control.
Tim leverages over a decade of commercial experience across integrated agribusiness sectors spanning grain procurement, commodity trading, exports, infrastructure development, and agricultural asset investments.
In his advisory roles he employs an intricate understanding of:
This allows Tim to provide informed, holistic guidance across operations, planning, financials, and strategic growth initiatives to a range of agribusiness clients.
Additionally, Tim is progressing Executive MBA studies to complement his real-world expertise with updated academic perspectives.
The diversity of commercial experiences has equipped Tim with dynamic problem-solving abilities and provided opportunities to advance agricultural business operations.
Weng brings over 30 years of global financial services expertise to his role as Portfolio Manager at Ferguson Hyams Investment Management. He has leveraged senior management positions across trading, financing, risk management and asset management to craft tailored solutions for institutional investors.
Beginning at JP Morgan in Australia, Weng sharpened his approach across equities trading and derivatives markets. He then progressed through positions in Singapore, London, and Hong Kong - leading teams at global banks like Deutsche Bank, while mastering risk control frameworks.
Exposure to diverse markets allowed Weng to develop specialized capabilities in areas like bespoke structured products and theme-based client portfolios, specialising in food security.
Clients consistently relied on him to distil complex instruments into intuitive portfolio decision drivers. As his career evolved at firms including Newedge and SocGen, Weng formalized a client-centric consulting ethos focused on transparency and trust. This was driven by ethics forged through experience navigating high-pressure trading floors.
Today at Ferguson Hyams, he combines this principle-based orientation with proven expertise in alternative assets and portfolio management - key competitive differentiators.
Weng holds a graduate degree from UNSW and maintains Chartered Accountant credentials - the analytical foundation underlying visionary strategy.
Ross is a seasoned real estate and financial markets analyst with over 30 years of experience advising firms on investments and market conditions.
He has been an integral part of Ferguson Hyams since its inception, contributing his expertise spanning property, development, financial markets, trading, and analytics.
Key credentials and experience:
In addition to his advisory experience, Ross serves as Lead Data Analyst at Ferguson Hyams. He leverages his analytical proficiency by overseeing data operations, analysis, financial modelling, and reporting.
Prior to his current role, Ross gained valuable data leadership experience as the Lead Data Analyst for a publicly traded real estate investment firm for over 5 years. During that tenure, he spearheaded implementing new data systems and procedures, and improved analytics and transparency for shareholders.
Ross's extensive experience and wealth of knowledge across real estate, development, and financial markets allows him to provide valuable analysis and insights to Ferguson Hyams and its clients seeking data-driven investment solutions. His longevity with and contributions to Ferguson Hyams underscore his integral role as both a seasoned expert and lead data analyst since the firm's start.
Cameron Hilton has built a substantial career in the cattle industry, characterized by extensive hands-on experience and leadership roles.
Cameron began his professional journey as a stock agent in the northeast of Victoria. This foundational role allowed him to develop a deep understanding of cattle management, market trends, and client relationships. His responsibilities included assessing livestock quality, negotiating sales, and advising producers on best practices, all of which honed his expertise in the cattle sector.
He later joined AMH/JBS, marking a significant turning point in his career. Initially working as a livestock buyer based out of Brisbane, he focused on sourcing high-quality cattle to meet market demands. His keen eye for livestock and strong negotiation skills quickly earned him recognition within the company.
Cameron’s role evolved as he became the livestock manager of the Dinmore plant, overseeing the entire livestock procurement process. He ensured the plant operated efficiently and met production targets while implementing strategies to improve animal welfare, optimize supply chains, and enhance productivity.
For the latter part of his tenure with AMH/JBS, Cameron took on the role of livestock manager for all feedlots in their Australian operations. This position required a comprehensive understanding of feedlot management, animal health, and nutrition. He was responsible for overseeing livestock purchasing, welfare, developing feeding programs, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. His leadership contributed to significant improvements in operational efficiency and animal care.
Cameron then served as a director of a livestock agency based in northeast Victoria. In this role, he leveraged his extensive industry experience to guide the agency’s strategic direction, foster relationships with producers, and expand its market presence. His focus on innovation and client service helped position the agency as a leader in the regional cattle market.
Throughout his career, Cameron Hilton has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in cattle management, fostering strong relationships within the industry, and driving operational improvements. His deep knowledge of livestock and market dynamics continues to influence the cattle industry in Australia.
Looking beyond Australia to find alternative high yield, asset-backed strategies in regulated fund structures in the US, UK, and Asia. Key sectors were agricultural commodities like wheat and meat, underpinned in insured trade logistics, as well as litigation finance targeting specific lawsuits. Noted the rise in ESG-related lawsuits in 2022-23 for alleged greenwashing and misinformation, especially in the UK.
Took on board how "fixed income" has perhaps become a broad term in Australia, sometimes describing funds that pay consistent income but don't necessarily protect principal.
Ferguson Hyams focuses on true alternative asset-backed strategies that target a high yield uncorrelated fixed income, while maintaining the initial underlying collateral value, using a rigorous selection criteria.
The goal is to find investments that perform well even in under-performing, volatile or bearish equity markets. The strategies are continually evaluated to ensure they meet performance expectations, even after passing the initial selection criteria.
In conjunction with onboarding great alternative high yield, asset backed managers, we also began developing tools to facilitate thorough risk management as well as transparent evaluation and portfolio construction for investors. This has since formed the core evaluation or selection process for the due diligence process undertaken on prospective managers in house.