OUR INVESTMENT TEAM

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.

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.

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.

Daihao Peng joined Comgest in 2024 and is a Paris-based Analyst specialising in US equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Daihao worked as an Equity Analyst at Tikehau Capital in Paris, covering European and US stocks across sectors.

Daihao holds a Master’s degree in Management from ESSEC Business School (France). He is a CFA^® charterholder and holds a CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing.

Nick Payne joined Comgest in 2025 and is a Paris-based Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in Global Emerging Market equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Nick was Head of Global Emerging Market equities at Jupiter Asset Management in London for seven years. He previously worked at Nomura Asset Management and was a Partner at Rexiter Capital Management, a specialist emerging markets boutique, from 1999 to 2012. His career in emerging markets began at Kleinwort Benson Investment Management in 1996.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Commerce and German from the University of Birmingham (UK) and is an Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals (ASIP), the UK’s forerunner to the CFA, now affiliated with CFA UK, the local chapter of the CFA Institute.

Laure Négiar joined Comgest in 2010 and is a Paris-based Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in Global equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Laure worked at BNP Paribas Equities & Derivatives in Paris and London. Before that, she held several roles within the US government.

Laure holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Stanford University (Honours; Phi Beta Kappa) and an MSc in Management (Dean's List) from HEC business school (France). She is a CFA^® charterholder.

Alexandre Narboni joined Comgest in 2009 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.

Alexandre previously worked in the Group’s US equity team. Prior to joining Comgest, he worked in New York in asset-backed securities at Société Générale from 2005-2007, and later as a Hedge Fund Credit Analyst at HSBC.

Alexandre holds a Master’s degree in Financial Mathematics from the National School of Statistics and Economic Administration (ENSAE; France) and Columbia University in New York (US).

Connor Middleton joined Comgest in 2023 and is a Paris-based Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in European equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Connor worked as a Global Research Analyst at Newton Investment Management for two years, focusing primarily on the technology, media, and telecom sectors. He started his career as an Analyst at J.P. Morgan in 2018.

Connor holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Honours) from the University of Warwick (UK), which included study abroad at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France).

Catriona Marshall joined Comgest as Head of Sustainable Investment in 2024 and is a member of the Comgest Group’s Investment and Sustainability Committees.

Prior to joining Comgest, Catriona spent a decade working with financial regulators and supervisors as a member of the Secretariat to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). As Head of Sustainable Finance (Financial Markets), she led a team of analysts to provide regulatory and policy guidance on ESG rating and investing for G20 countries. This included overseeing analysis on ESG integration into portfolio management, methodologies for ESG metrics, and pricing of perceived ESG risks in markets. Catriona began her career as a buy-side analyst in private equity before moving to other roles in investment research.

Catriona holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of London (SOAS; UK) and a post-graduate degree in Economic Policy from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po; France).