Hans Humes

Hans Humes (born Willem J. Humes but known professionally as Hans Humes) is an American investor and commentator on financial markets and sovereign debt restructurings. He is the president and chief investment officer at Greylock Capital Management, LLC (Greylock Capital), an alternative investment adviser. He served as co-chair of the Global Committee of Argentina Bondholders following the Argentine Republic's debt default in 2002, and most recently served on the steering committee of investors engaged in the Greek sovereign debt restructuring.

Early life

Humes was born in Bethesda, Maryland and spent his childhood in Canada as well as several other countries including Mexico, Nigeria and Morocco and Chile. He completed high school at Lawrenceville Academy in 1983 and matriculated at Williams College that same year, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature in 1987. Humes captained the Williams College Ultimate Frisbee team, otherwise known as 'WUFO', during the 1985-86 academic year. He continues to be an enthusiastic WUFO supporter.

Professional career

Following Williams College, Humes entered investment banking working for Manufacturer’s Hanover, then Banco Santander and then Lehman Brothers, focusing on proprietary debt trading in Latin America. At Lehman Brothers, he was a member of the emerging markets debt trading team and helped manage over $500 million of assets. He subsequently joined Van Eck Global as a portfolio manager for a fund engaged in emerging market fixed-income investments. In 2004, Humes founded Greylock Capital as a joint venture with Van Eck Global managing a portfolio similar to the one he managed at Van Eck Global. He currently serves as the firm's president and chief investment officer.

Greylock Capital is an Securities and Exchange Commission registered alternative investment adviser that invests in investing in undervalued, distressed, and high yield assets worldwide, particularly in emerging markets. Greylock Capital and its partners have participated on a number of corporate and sovereign debt restructurings. In addition to the sovereign restructurings of Argentina and Greece, Humes and Greylock Capital participated in the restructurings of Republics of Ivory Coast (2010), Ecuador (2009) and Liberia (2009).

Humes is a regular contributor to public debate through his television and radio appearances and newspaper interviews. His commentary often focuses on strategy and developing trends related to emerging markets investments and sovereign debt restructurings.

Humes engages in a number of civic and charitable endeavors, including serving on the boards of the New York Theater Workshop and the MacDella Cooper Foundation; a foundation established to improve the lives of Liberian orphans. He is also on the board of directors of the Wendy Hilliard Foundation, a foundation which offers gymnastics training and instruction to girls in the NY metropolitan area. Additionally, he sits on the Advisory Board of the World Policy Institute, a New York City-based international affairs think tank.

Humes is fluent in Spanish. He has lived in Chile, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Belgium, and the Netherlands.