Gary Isbister 2023 Speaker

CIO

Challenger Management Limited

Biography

After qualifying as a Chartered Account in February 2008, Gary relocated to London where he took up an internal consulting role for BNP Paribas Securities Services where he focused on streamlining the internal operations of their outsourced fund management platform. He returned to Johannesburg (South Africa) in late 2009 and took up a deal origination role at Blue Strata Trading, a cutting edge South African import and working capital specialist (now a wholly owned Investec subsidiary). In June 2013, Gary moved to Riparian as Chief Operating Officer and Investment Advisor to its largest client, Barak Fund Management. Over his two years there, Gary was instrumental in the growth of the trade finance fund which quadrupled in size during his tenor. During his time there he implemented the building blocks credit evaluation process, assisted with capital raising, and structured and advised on $60 million worth of transactions. Gary founded the Challenger Trade Finance Fund in late 2015. Since then, the business has built an impressive track record operating in several countries, with offices in South Africa, Argentina, Mauritius and London.