SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd.
 

SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd. is the sub advisor of and responsible for the day to day portfolio management of the Hennessy Select SPARX Japan Fund and the Hennessy Select SPARX Japan Smaller Companies Fund.

SPARX is headquartered in Tokyo, and since its founding in 1989, has grown into one of the largest and most experienced Asia-based asset management specialists. SPARX’s extensive experience in Japan and throughout the rest of Asia over the past two decades offers investors keen insights into opportunities throughout the region.

abeShuhei Abe
Shu founded SPARX Group in 1989 and is Group Chief Investment Officer of SPARX Group Co., Ltd. In this capacity he is responsible for setting policy on general market trends, the investment research process, and the overall investment direction of SPARX's Japan-focused asset management. Shu began his career as an analyst for Nomura Research Institute (Japan) where he worked until 1982. From 1982 to 1985, he worked in Japanese equity sales for Nomura Securities International (New York). In 1985, he formed Abe Capital Research where he managed Japanese equity investments for U.S. and European investors. Shu holds an MBA from Babson College and a Bachelor's degree in economics from Sophia University.

The Hennessy Select SPARX Japan Fund’s portfolio managers are Masakazu Takeda and Tetsuya Hirano.

takedaMasakazu Takeda, CMA*
Masa has been a portfolio manager of the Select SPARX Japan Fund since November, 2006 and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio. He has been an analyst and fund manager with SPARX since 1999. Prior to joining SPARX, he was employed by the Long Term Credit Bank of Japan (currently Shinsei Bank) and LTCB Warburg (now UBS Securities). Masa holds a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from the International Christian University.


hiranoTetsuya Hirano, CMA*
Tetsuya has been a portfolio manager of the Select SPARX Japan Fund since June, 2010. Prior to joining SPARX in July, 2006, he worked at Nikko Asset Management (formerly Nikko Securities Investment Trust Management) as a member of the Japanese equity investment team, as an equity fund manager and international equities trader. Tetsuya holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Rikkyo University and an MBA from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.


The Hennessy Select SPARX Japan Smaller Companies Fund's portfolio managers are Tadahiro Fujimura and Keitaro Kanai.

fujimuraTadahiro Fujimura, CFA and CMA*
Tad joined SPARX Asset Management in 1999 and has been a portfolio manager of the Select SPARX Japan Smaller Companies Fund since its inception. He acts as head of Traditional Strategies at SPARX and is responsible for overseeing Japanese Mid and Small Cap strategies. Prior to joining SPARX, he was chief portfolio manager of the small cap investment team at Nikko Investment Trust & Management (currently Nikko Asset Management). Tad holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Tsukuba University and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

kanaiKeitaro Kanai, CMA*
Keitaro has been a portfolio manager of the Hennessy Select SPARX Japan Smaller Companies Fund since June, 2010. Prior to joining SPARX in November, 2007 he worked at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (Black Rock Japan) as an analyst and fund manager on the Japanese equity specialist team, and at UFJ Partners Asset Management Co., Ltd. (currently Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co., Ltd.) as an analyst and fund manager on the Japanese small cap stock investment team. Keitaro holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Keio University.

* “CMA” designates that individual as a Chartered Member of the Security Analysts Association of Japan.