OUR INVESTMENT TEAM

Eva Fornadi joined Comgest in 2005 and is an Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in European equities. She is also a non-executive member of the Board of Partners.

Eva joined Comgest at the start of her career and has built her experience across European equities, spanning market capitalisations. She has been a key contributor to the development and diversification of the Group’s European strategies.

Eva holds a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Business Studies from Oxford Brookes University (UK) and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from the International Business School in Budapest (Hungary).

Frédéric Yoboué joined Comgest in 2021 and is an Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in Global equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Frédéric worked for three years at Bryan, Garnier & Co. in Paris as a Research Equity Analyst focused on European semiconductor companies. He previously held internship positions as a Buy-Side Equity Analyst for companies including Comgest, LFPI AM and Amundi in Paris.

Frédéric holds a Master’s degree in Corporate Finance from Toulouse Business School and Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Toulouse School of Economics, both in France.

Xing Xu joined Comgest in 2020 and is an ESG Analyst and Portfolio Manager responsible for ESG coverage of Global Emerging Markets and Asian equities.

Prior to joining Comgest, Xing completed internships at Comgest, the Fosun Group (China), working on strategic investment deals in the technology and financial sectors, and at GF Securities, a leading financial services company in China, within their equity research department.

Xing holds Master’s degrees in Management and Financial Markets from EDHEC Business School (France) and a Bachelor of Science degree in International Economics and Trade from the University of Nottingham (UK & China).

Slabbert van Zyl joined Comgest in 2014 and is an 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.

Justin Streeter joined Comgest in 2015 and is an 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.

Liudmila Strakodonskaya joined Comgest in 2024 and is an ESG Analyst and Portfolio Manager 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.

Zak Smerczak joined Comgest in 2016 and is an 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 an 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).

Daihao Peng joined Comgest in 2024 and is an 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 an 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.