Ex-Halcyon Agri co-founder named CEO of fund manager set up by former StanChart Singapore chief

SINGAPORE-BASED fund manager Caber Partners announced on Wednesday that it has appointed Robert Meyer, co-founder and former chief executive officer (CEO) of mainboard-listed Halcyon Agri Corporation, as its new CEO, effective immediately.

This comes as Mr Meyer has taken a 19.9 per cent stake in Caber through Angsana Investments, an early-stage venture capital firm with a focus on impact investing that he set up in 2009.

Caber was started in 2017 to develop niche investment strategies for ultra-high-net-worth families and institutional capital with a primary focus on Asean opportunities.

Among Caber's managing partners is ex-Standard Chartered Singapore chief executive Ray Ferguson, who was an independent director at Halcyon Agri when Mr Meyer was at the helm.

Mr Meyer retired as CEO at natural rubber supplier Halcyon Agri in June 2020 after a decade, after which he started actively managing Angsana Investments.

On his appointment, he said that his plan for Caber is to develop capital allocation strategies that expose investors to the "significant opportunities" that the region has to offer as global trade flows, environmental awareness and geopolitical alliances shift.

He added that Caber will announce its inaugural fund "very soon".

In a statement, Mr Ferguson, who is the outgoing CEO of Caber, said: "Having known Robert for many years both professionally and personally, I believe he brings a unique blend of mercantile and financial experience to the firm."

Mr Ferguson, who is Caber's founder, will remain as non-executive chairman.

Paul Rogers, executive director and managing partner of Caber, also flagged Mr Meyer's track record in monetising and managing commodity opportunities.

"The breakdown in supply chains together with the realignment of global trade patterns and capital allocation weightings has provided us with a unique opportunity to offer a suite of funds in this space," he said.

Mr Ferguson is also active in the Singapore fintech and insurtech space. He is the chairman of Aviva Singlife Holdings, and chairman of blockchain firm STACS.

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