Ashton Global: A Journey Across Asset Classes and Borders
Ashton Global has had a distinguished history rooted in institutional investing across a multitude of asset classes.
Kijana A. Mack, Founder and Senior Managing Director
Kijana Mack is responsible for capital introductions and manager selection at Ashton Global. Prior to forming Ashton Global, Kijana was a Director at an emerging markets hedge fund based in New York.
Prior to the hedge fund, Kijana was in the Corporate Finance Group at Moody’s covering energy and infrastructure companies in the US and Latin America. He also spent six years in the Capital Markets Group at Cambridge Associates with a focus on private equity and natural resources.
Kijana holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Morgan State University and an MBA from Loyola University. He is fluent in Spanish and serves on the Board of Directors of Mexico Energy Partners and Energy Holdings International LLC.
Institutional Investing Across Asset Classes
The journey begins at Cambridge Associates
The inception of this extraordinary journey dates back to the tenure of Mr. Mack at Cambridge Associates, a renowned institution that stands as the world's largest institutional investment consulting firm. Serving as a leader in the Capital Markets Group, Mr. Mack accumulated a wealth of experience in managing multi-asset class portfolios and became skilled at delivering exceptional client service to the most sophisticated capital allocators worldwide.
Emerging Markets and Latin America
A career of international finance at Moody's
This expertise dovetailed seamlessly with Mr. Mack's move into the realm of international finance. From 2010 to 2015, he served at Moody's Investor Service, the world's leading rating agency, in both New York and Mexico City. There, he managed a portfolio that included energy, infrastructure, and basic materials companies from across the Americas. Mr. Mack played an instrumental role in assessing over $20 billion of corporate debt transactions intended for institutional investors.
First manager joins the team
Partnership with Wangchuk Capital
This experience set the stage for the inception of Ashton Global. The first milestone in the journey was a partnership with Thinley Wangchuk of Wangchuk Capital, LLC. Together, they launched the Ashton Global International Small-Cap strategy, which since its inception, has consistently yielded strong risk-adjusted returns.
Partnerships Built on Trust
New York-Based Fund Believes in the Mission
Trust and long-term partnerships remain at the heart of Ashton Global's success. This commitment was affirmed by a New York-based hedge fund's significant investment in the company. After an introduction by business school alumnus Harry Markopolos, the hedge fund believed in Ashton Global's mission and provided a capital injection of $5.2 million to support a five-year growth plan.
Core Assets Provide Liquidity for Growth
Launch of the Litigation Finance Fund
In October 2017, Ashton Global continued its expansion, launching the Ashton Global Litigation Finance Fund. This initiative sought to capitalize on unique opportunities within the litigation finance industry, where recoveries can yield returns as high as 10x. With over 20 portfolio investments, the strategy offers investors diversified and uncorrelated returns, proving that litigation finance investments bear no correlation with other asset classes.
Europe, Middle East, and Africa Growth Strategy
Partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Looking beyond North America, Ashton Global set its sights on the European, Middle Eastern, and African markets, initiating a partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Mexico City
Latin America Provides Platform for Growth
This international expansion was further emphasized by the company's establishment of its first overseas office in Mexico City in 2018. This move positioned Ashton Global as a significant player in the Latin American market, serving as a launch pad for growth in the region and offering emerging manager solutions to the burgeoning private wealth management sector.
What our clients are saying
Emerging Managers for Family Offices and Institutional Investors
Capital Providers
Introductions to emerging and diverse hedge fund managers
