Jean Marc Fraysse:  CIO & Portfolio Manager / Partner.  Jean Marc joined Park Place Capital in Dec. 2002 as a principal of the firm. He heads the portfolio management team and has ultimate accountability for stock selection decisions.   He is an experienced and skilled stock-picker who is known for his hands-on style and professional discipline.  From 1988 to 2002, Jean Marc managed Cazenove’s Pan European and European Equity Funds. He was a Partner of Cazenove & Company, serving as a Managing Director of Fund Management as well as a member of the Strategy and Global Sector Group.  Earlier in his career, Jean Marc worked at Kidder Peabody as well as Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.  Jean Marc graduated from the American University in Washington DC with a degree in Finance and Professional Accounting and an MSc in Finance. He has over 20 years of investment experience.

Peter Schell:  Director of Research / Partner.  Peter returned to Park Place Capital in Dec. 2002 and leads the portfolio management team’s research effort. He assists Jean Marc Fraysse in stock selection decisions.   From Feb. 1998 to Oct. 2000, Peter was a Senior Analyst at Park Place, but left the firm in Oct. 2000 to co-found his own fund, Boxwood Double Alpha, sponsored by Minster Trust, the UK subsidiary of Groupama SA.  Peter returned to Park Place in late 2002 as a principal of the firm after Groupama closed Minster Trust and its UK operations.  Previously, Peter had been an Extel ranked telecommunications equity analyst at Schroder Securities Ltd. Prior experiences include positions with Paribas and Warburg in London and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York, where he worked with Mr. Fraysse.  Peter holds a BA in History from Williams College.

Steven Solmonson:   President / Partner.  Mr. Solmonson served as a non-executive advisory director of Park Place from 1994 to 1999.  In Jan. 2000,  he joined the firm and is responsible the firm’s business operations, including risk management and portfolio reporting, client services, business development and operations.    Previously, he was the President of Value Investing Partners Inc. (1995-1999) and earlier, he was a Managing Director at Lehman Brothers, Smith Barney and Drexel Burnham Lambert.  As co-director of the futures and derivatives division at Drexel, Mr. Solmonson was responsible for risk management, business development, international sales and trading and fund products.  He served as a director of DBL’s Winchester Fund of Funds as well as DBL in-house Hedge Fund Advisory Corp.  At Lehman, he managed the international branch offices, where he launched the Global Advisory Fund of Fund, and subsequently, served as a director of the Edgehill Select Umbrella Fund. He received a BA from Columbia College in New York and completed a postgraduate program at the London School of Economics.  He received a JD from Brooklyn Law School and was admitted to the Bar of New York in 1980.

Niall Hurely:  Sr. Analyst.  Niall joined Park Place Capital in 2009 as a Senior Analyst.  Prior to joining Park Place, Niall was a member of the institutional equity sales team at Goldman Sachs and then Deutsch Bank, advising institutional and hedge fund clients on equity and equity derivatives.  He received a Bachelors in Business & Legal Studies in 1999 from University College Dublin and a Masters in Finance from the UCD Graduate School of Business in 2000.

Giuseppe Ciardi:   Non Exec. Chairman.   Mr. Ciardi founded the firm in 1992.  Prior to founding Park Place,  he was a Partner in BNP’s Investment Group (1989-1991) and Lazard Brothers’ Capital Markets Group – Global Equities (1985-1989).  He began his career at Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York in 1980.  Mr. Ciardi holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Rome and an MBA from Columbia University in New York.  While no longer active in the day-to-day activities of Park Place Capital Ltd.,  he remains a shareholder and serves as Chairman of the Board.  Mr. Ciardi holds other unrelated investment interests.  He also serves on the Columbia Business School’s Board of Overseers.


Michael Bonds:  Controller. Michael joined Park Place in September 1995. Previously, Michael has held positions with the Audit Group of KPMG in London and Accounting Dept. of Macquarie Bank in Sydney, Australia. He holds a BA (Hons) in History from Southampton University, and became a Chartered Accountant in 1989 at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Terry Foulser:  Operations Manager. Mr. Fousler joined Park Place in December 1991. Previously, Terry was Head of International Settlements at Gilbert Eliott, a UK Brokerage Firm.

Kristina Sekula:  Administrative Assistant.   joined Park Place in 2006. Previously, she previously held positions as Marketing Coordinator for Advantage International (a division of Interpublic Group) and as a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Congressman Mickey Ewards.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Virginia in 1991.