OUR INVESTMENT TEAM

Heyang Ping joined Comgest in 2022 and is a Tokyo-based Analyst specialising in Japanese equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Heyang worked at Sparx Asset Management as a Japanese Equity Analyst supporting its Sustainable Investment Strategy. She was previously a Japanese Equity Analyst at Macquarie Group, mainly covering the Transportation Sector, and started her career in 2011 at J.P. Morgan in Tokyo in Japanese Equity Research Sales.

Heyang holds a Master’s degree in Technology Management for Innovation from the University of Tokyo and a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Yokohama National University, both in Japan.

Mark Schumann joined Comgest in 2025 and is a Paris-based Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in European equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Mark worked at DWS from 2006, where he was Head of Investment Strategy for European Large Cap Equities in Frankfurt. He previously served as Director and Senior Portfolio Manager for European Blend and Growth Equity Funds in DWS’s New York office, having earlier managed institutional and mutual fund mandates focused on European and International (EAFE) equities. Mark began his career in 2003 as an Investment Banking Analyst in M&A and Corporate Finance at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt.

Mark holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Capital Markets from the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and studied abroad at the Copenhagen Business School (Denmark). He is a CFA^® charterholder and an EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA).

Bhuvnesh Singh joined Comgest in 2016 and is a Singapore-based Analyst and Portfolio Advisor specialising in Asian equities, with a focus on Indian equities.

Bhuvnesh co-leads the Asia Pac ex Japan and India strategies. He visits company premises, compiles in-depth research reports and contributes to Comgest’s India, Asia, Emerging Markets and Global strategies. In 1999, Bhuvnesh started his career working at Credit Suisse where he was an Asia equity Analyst. He went on to join Barclays in 2011 as Head of India Research, co-managing the Indian equity business.

Bhuvnesh holds a Master’s degree in Management from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, both in India.

Zak Smerczak joined Comgest in 2016 and is a Paris-based Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in Global equities. He is also a member of the Comgest Group's Investment Committee.

Prior to joining Comgest, Zak worked at Polar Capital from 2015 as an Analyst / Portfolio Manager for the firm’s global multi-asset income strategy. Before that, he was an Analyst at Mirabaud Asset Management from 2011, covering Global equities. He began his career in 2006 at Deloitte in London, initially in Assurance & Advisory Services before moving to Transaction Services, where he was responsible for operational and financial due diligence.

Zak holds a Bachelor of Business Science Degree in Finance (Honours) from the University of Cape Town (South Africa). He is a CFA^® charterholder and has been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland since 2009.

Liudmila Strakodonskaya joined Comgest in 2024 and is a Paris-based ESG Analyst responsible for coverage of US equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Liudmila worked as an ESG Analyst at AXA IM in Paris, where she developed thematic research, analysis and shareholder engagement on ESG topics with a focus on biodiversity and gender diversity. She represented AXA IM at the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation (FfBF) and co-chaired the FfBF’s Impact Assessment Working Group to help build and share knowledge on biodiversity metrics among investors. She was also involved in the creation of the Nature Action 100 initiative as a member of the launching investor group. Liudmila previously worked at Eleva Capital in Paris from 2019 as an ESG/SRI Analyst, contributing to the development and implementation of the company’s ESG strategy, and began her career in 2016 at EthiFinance in Paris as a Sustainable Investment Analyst specialising in ESG research and reporting.

Liudmila holds a PhD in Economics, with expertise in sustainable finance, from Paris II Panthéon-Assas University (France), for which she received a grant from FIR-UN PRI in 2016.

Justin Streeter joined Comgest in 2015 and is a Paris-based Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in US equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Justin worked at J.P. Morgan in San Francisco as an M&A Healthcare Analyst from 2013 and previously in London in a similar role for the firm. He began his career at Macquarie Capital Partners (London) and at Société Générale (Paris).

Justin holds a Master’s degree in Management and Corporate Finance from Emlyon Business School (France). He is a CFA^® charterholder.

Slabbert van Zyl joined Comgest in 2014 and is a Paris-based Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in Global Emerging Markets equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Slabbert qualified as a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and gained six years’ experience as a South African Investment Analyst in Cape Town.

Slabbert holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Pretoria and a post-graduate qualification in Accounting from the University of Johannesburg, both in South Africa. He is a CFA^® charterholder.

Eric Voravong joined Comgest in 2017 and is a Paris-based ESG Analyst responsible for coverage of Japanese equities.

From 2008-2017, Eric collaborated with Comgest as an independent investment consultant, particularly on several key projects involving ESG integration. Prior to that, he worked for ADI Alternative Investments in Paris as a Senior Analyst in their research team before establishing his consultancy firm. Eric began his career in corporate banking in 1989 at Banque Paribas where he worked for 15 years, starting as a Risk Analyst before moving on to other roles including Account Manager, Credit Officer and Portfolio Manager. He worked in Paris, Los Angeles and London, where he joined their Equity Research team focusing on telecom and technology companies.

He holds a diploma from the Emlyon Business School (France) and is a CFA^® charterholder.

Chantana Ward joined Comgest in 1999 and is an Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in Japanese equities. She is also a non-executive member of the Board of Partners.

Chantana joined Comgest early in her career, initially working across Asian equities before specialising in Japan. She has been a key contributor to the long-term development of the Japan strategy and travels regularly to Japan to research companies and work closely with the Tokyo-based team.

Chantana holds an MSc in Finance from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business in New York (US), a dual diploma with The American University of Paris (France).

Franz Weis joined Comgest in 2005 is a Paris-based Portfolio Manager specialising in European equities. In addition to serving as the Group’s Chief Investment Officer (CIO), he is Managing Director of Comgest Global Investors and a member of the Group’s Board of Partners and Executive Committee.

In his role as CIO, Franz oversees the Group’s Investment team and chairs both the Sustainability Committee and Investment Committee, which are responsible for applying Comgest’s philosophy on successful long-term investing.

Prior to joining Comgest, Franz worked at F&C Asset Management in London from 1996 as Senior Portfolio Manager and Director of European Equities. In 1990, he began his career at Baillie Gifford & Co. in Edinburgh as an Analyst and a Portfolio Manager.

Franz holds a Master’s degree in International Banking and Financial Studies from Heriot-Watt University (Scotland), where he received the International Bankers in Scotland Prize in 1990.