OUR PEOPLE
Tendai Musikavanhu
Chief Executive Officer
Tendai is co-founder of the One Stone Capital Group (previously Umbono Capital) and One Stone Global LLC (“One Stone”). He holds the CFA Charter from the US-based CFA Institute and a BCOMPT (Accounting Science) degree from the University of South Africa. Tendai has 29 years of work experience in financial services in Southern Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
He was one of the first black CFA Charterholders in South Africa. Tendai has won two Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP) awards – Top Portfolio Manager in 2004 and most Progressive Company in 2005.
Prior to founding One Stone, Tendai founded Old Mutual Global Index Trackers (Pty) Limited (“OMGxT”), which is now reputedly the largest private sector index tracking fund manager on the African continent. He has also worked for Old Mutual (UK), Robert Flemings (JP Morgan), BoE and Southern Life Asset Management. Tendai serves as Chief Executive Officer for One Stone, and is also Chairman of One Stone Capital’s board, Trustee for the Musikavanhu Investment Trust, Founder and investment committee member for the Inhlakanipho Education and Development Trust and the Thembalitsha Trust. He served as a member of the FTSE-JSE advisory board for several years during the transition of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to the new globally recognized indices. Tendai has performed market commentary for the Emerging Markets, Frontier Markets and Africa on CNN, CNBC, Fox Business, CNBC Africa, BBC Radio and Moneyweb.
Brett has been the Chief Compliance Officer at One Stone Global and its predecessor, Old Mutual Global Index Trackers, since February 2011. In 2013, Brett was given additional responsibilities and was named the Chief Operating Officer of Old Mutual Global Index Trackers US LLC and retains that position in One Stone Global today. Prior to joining One Stone, Brett was a compliance supervisor at Batterymarch Financial Management from 2006-2011 and prior to Batterymarch, Mr. Pohl was a compliance specialist at Fidelity Investments from 2003-2006.
Brett holds a degree in Business Science and Business Administration from Creighton University.
Brett Pohl
Chief Operating Officer/Chief Compliance Officer
Nhlanhla Shezi
Group MD: Mergers and Acquisitions
Nhlanhla Shezi has a BSc degree, majoring in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, and an MBA. Nhlanhla has more than 16 years in the financial services; asset management, having been part of the founding team of One Stone’s first asset management company, and M & A advisory. He has also been a director and the chief executive officer of One Stone’s retail investments and insurance unit which operated in over 70 branches. He has participated in various M & A transactions within the group, playing a role in transaction structuring and negotiation, business planning including financial modelling and strategy formulation. He is also advising a private equity fund including fundraising thereof with a target fund size of R650 million.
Nomhle is currently chairman of Gallagher Power Fence (SA) Pty Ltd. Prior to this she was CEO of Blue IQ Investment Holding, Executive Director of WIP Private Equity and Executive Director and founding member of the Women Investment Portfolio Holdings (WIPHOLD). She also worked as a management trainee for Anglo American Corporation. Prior to that she was a stockbroker for Oppenheimer & Co in New York and Atlanta and for Smith Barney Harris Upham Brokerage House in Atlanta. Nomhle has a track record of working on investment transactions, specifically opportunities designed to empower women. Nomhle is also a founding member of Women’s Development Banking (WDB) and is on the boards of Putco Holdings and Stefanutti Stocks. Her previous directorships include South Africa’s Land Bank, Sentech, SA National Parks, WIPHOLD, AVI, Pareto and Prime Media Holdings and Bidvest.
Nomhle received her BA in Economics and Political Science from Emory University.
Nonhle Canca
Board of Directors
Virginia Meany
Board of Directors
Virginia Meany is retired after a successful career in Financial Services. Prior to retirement, she served as an Assistant Director in the Office of Risk Management at the Securities and Exchange Commission. She has had extensive experience in executive management, back office operations and regulatory compliance and has also served on several corporate and nonprofit boards.
Ms. Meany has served in senior management roles at several large Financial Services organizations including Fidelity Investments, JPMorgan and State Street Corporation. In each of these organizations she was tasked with delivering innovative and reliable products, ensuring high quality customer service and managing large and diverse operations teams. At State Street she was involved in strategic planning, product pricing and financial management. At JPMorgan, she led the transformation of a newly acquired subsidiary from a niche organization to highly regarded service organization with a sophisticated customer base. She successfully ran the Institutional Client Operations organization at Fidelity Investments at a time of explosive growth in the mutual fund industry.
Ms. Meany has long been a proponent of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace and has initiated mentoring programs, anti-bias training and affinity programs.
Ms. Meany has also served on several corporate and nonprofit boards. She was a trustee on the Board of Old Mutual Global Shares Trust, represented the Mutual Funds Division on the board of, State Street Syntel Private, Ltd. (India); chaired the Board of JPMorgan Investor Services, Boston (local legal entity) and is past chair of the Board of the New England College of Business. She is currently a trustee of the Board of the Boston Women’s Fund and a member of the Board of Governors for the Longy School of Music
Ms. Meany has a BA in Education and MBA in Finance from Boston College. She is married with three children.
Miguel Thames is a successful executive with over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has expertise in global sales management, institutional relationship management, portfolio management and investments, and business development strategy. He has held senior management positions in global business development for a large asset management company, leading teams in the US, UK and Japan. He has developed a strong global professional network through engagement in several industry trade organizations, and established strong direct relationships with large public and private institutional investors in the US, Latin America and Africa. He has championed workforce diversity and continues to mentor many younger professionals. Through his career Miguel has earned a reputation for high integrity, motivating goal-oriented teamwork, and commitment to achieving results.
In 2018 Miguel founded T.I.G. Advisory which provides advisory services to asset management firms and fund sponsors. Relationships in the US and Africa are the primary focus. He is active in industry organizations and is currently a member of the board of directors for the National Association of Securities Professional (NASP). Miguel earned his MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago, and his BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a CFA charter holder.
Miguel Thames
Board of Directors
Vijay Vaidyanathan
Senior Consultant (Smart Beta)
Vijay is the founder of Optimal Asset Management and lead Portfolio Manager. Vijay has a PhD in Finance and an MS (Risk & Asset Management) from the EDHEC Business School, France. He also has an MS in Computer Science from SUNY Albany and a MSc (Tech) from BITS Pilani, India and is an alumnus of IMD Lausanne, Switzerland. Previously, Vijay was the President, EDHEC-Risk Indices and Benchmarks North America where his research interests included smart beta and the role of factors and risk premia in equity markets. He holds several patents in financial micro-transactions in Digital Markets.
As Vice Chairman of Wisdom Tree Asset Management from (2012-2016), Bruce was a Member of Executive Management Team and focused on strategic growth initiatives such as new products and markets, overseas expansion, merger and acquisition strategy/discussions. From 2006-2012, Bruce served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Wisdom Tree. Bruce joined Wisdom Tree in the pre-launch phase and oversaw the growth of a business that now has over $60B in AUM, $200m in revenue and is highly profitable. He was responsible for managing strategy, sales, marketing, operations, product development and research functions, team of approximately 50 people. He negotiated and managed multiple large-scale relationships with multi-managers, custodians, distribution partners and was involved in financing discussions, NASDAQ listing process, public company requirements.
Prior to joining Wisdom Tree, Bruce worked for Blackrock Inc. (formerly Barclays Global Investors). He was the Head of iShares Exchange Traded Funds Unit Europe, London (2003-2006). He led the initial efforts of iShares as it invested in Europe to expand its very successful U.S. franchise and managed a team focused on building a pan European business and raised approximately $20B in AUM. He was responsible for strategy, sales, marketing, product development, compliance, finance representing over 100 funds to European investors and managed growth phase in the business that saw assets rise 110%, headcount triple, local product line double, exchange listings rise five-fold and scope of marketing activities increase dramatically. While at Barclays Global Investors he was a Member of the senior Management Team and the 2nd employee of the business unit. He was also responsible for launching over 50 new equity and fixed income exchange traded funds between 2001-2003
Bruce Lavine
Senior Consultant (Operations and Multi-Management)
Dr. Yvette Solomons
Board of Directors
Dr Yvette F Solomons retains more than 34 years of dynamic experience across Academia, the Public and Private Practice Sectors in Dentistry – 27 of which as Specialist in Prosthodontic Higher Education, Scholarship, Diagnostics and Clinical Service. She obtained BDS, M.Dent (Prosthodontics), M.A.P., PGDipE(HE) from University of Witwatersrand, with an M.A (Educational Leadership, Liverpool John Moores Academic University) currently in progress. A visionary expert in current global ways of thinking and practicing, she upholds a commendable personal record of Continuing Professional Development, Academic Scholarship, Professional Community Leadership, and Private Practice Team liaisons and Management.
Having fulfilled senior-level roles over three decades with two of South Africa’s leading Dental Schools in lecturing dental undergraduates as well as postgraduate prosthodontic residents and training graduates for business, Dr Solomons has also engaged comprehensively in both Clinical and Pedagogical Research, with a long-standing network of close associates and professional research partnerships.
Her Governance skill sets have been refined experientially through formal training and consequent skills transfer in several Boards and Committees where she served actively over many years. She is the immediate past Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the South African Dental Association. She has engaged extensively in collaborative negotiations with government, funders, donors and other stakeholders to advance the profession. A creative problem-solver, with the resolve and resilience to impact positive change without backing down from difficult conversations and situations; manages all stakeholders with tact, care and unassailable respect.
Colonel Pilar McDermott had a 27-year Army career, including command of the largest field artillery battery in the United States Army. Her final assignment was as a full Professor of History and Chief, International Division in the Department of History at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Colonel McDermott holds a Bachelor of Science in History and General Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Masters and PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania. She has published several essays and two books in the United States, Spain, and Italy. She received several prestigious fellowships, including one from the National Endowment for the Humanities. She currently works in the field of leader development. Upon her military retirement, the Women’s Leadership Exchange gave Colonel McDermott its Compass Award, for “changing the paradigm of how women are perceived as leaders.” In May 2016 she was inducted into the New York State Senate Veteran’s Hall of Fame.
Colonel (Ret.) Pilar McDermott
Board of Directors
Pamela Scott
Board of Directors
Pam is President and CEO of LVCC, Inc., a business consulting firm that advises businesses and non-profit organizations on marketing, strategy and organizational issues. She has more than 30 years of sales and management experience in financial services and investment management. Prior to forming LVCC, Inc. in 2003, Pam was Senior Vice President at State Street Corporation where she managed investment relationships with mutual funds, corporate and public pension fund investors and led State Street Global Advisors’ Charitable Asset Management Department serving non-profit organizations. Pam began her career in investment management at Citibank and has held sales, marketing and management positions with several other global investment firms in the New York City area prior to relocating to Boston in 1997.
Pam is a former independent director of Blue Hills Bancorp, Inc. and two other Boston area community banks, Danvers Bancorp, Inc. and Beverly National Corporation. All three banks were merged with larger banks during her tenure as director. As a corporate director, she has been an active member of the Boston Chapter of Women Corporate Directors, the American College of Corporate Directors, and the National Association of Corporate Directors – New England Chapter. She was selected by Agenda, a Financial Times Group publication, to be profiled in their 2012 directory, The Agenda Compensation 100, a listing of 100 top corporate board candidates.
Pam also has a 40 year history of support and involvement with non-profit organizations in education, social services, performing arts, healthcare and professional associations. Currently, she serves on the Trustee Advisory Board of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Director of the BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund, Trustee of the Essex County Community Foundation and Director of the Forsyth Institute. In 2009, she was appointed trustee to Salem State University by Governor Deval Patrick. She was reappointed in 2013 and has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees, 2012-2015. She has served as a Director of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, Director of The Boston Club, Overseer of the Tuck School of Business, President of Girls, Inc. of Lynn, Director of Celebrity Series of Boston, Director of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP) and President of NASP-Boston Chapter. In 2013, she was honored for her professional achievements by the Boston Business Journal at their Advancing Women event and by the Association of Rice Alumni as well as the Association of Rice University Black Alumni. In November, 2016, she was recognized as a Distinguished Leader on the Northshore for her contributions to local communities by the Northshore Chamber of Commerce.
Pam is a Houston native, holds a BA in Economics from Rice University and an MBA in Finance from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.