Claris Ruwende, CFA, CA
Claris Ruwende is an Independent Director with Waystone. Based in the Cayman Islands office, Claris provides independent director services to hedge, private equity, private credit and real estate funds with a wide variety of structures and strategies.
A Chartered Accountant and CFA Charterholder, Claris brings with her extensive experience in offshore financial services and a strong working knowledge of the regulatory environment impacting hedge funds and securities investment business in the Cayman Islands and other jurisdictions.
Previously, Claris held the position of Chief Analyst at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), where she led the securities supervision division team in carrying out a full range of supervisory and regulatory functions to ensure the compliance of licensees and registrants. Claris spent 11 years working at MUFG Alternative Fund Services (Cayman) Limited, initially as a Deputy Group Head in fund administration where she managed client relationships and led a team responsible for a diverse portfolio of mutual funds. Claris later served as a Change/Project Manager, responsible for defining and streamlining business processes and the execution of various projects. Earlier in her career, Claris worked as an Audit Senior Accountant at KPMG, Cayman Islands having begun her career with Ernst& Young in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Skills and experience
- Representing private credit funds specialising in leveraged buyout transactions and purchases of distressed securities involving corporate restructuring, special situations, and industry consolidations with AUM of over $300 billion.
- Representing funds managed by a European venture capital firm investing primarily in disruptive technology in the internet, mobile, telecommunications, software, e-commerce sectors with AUM over $2 billion.
- Representing long-short, long only and credit opportunity funds invested in a wide variety of securities and financial instruments primarily traded in Latin America emerging markets and managed by an investment manager with AUM of US$1 billion.
- Representing fund-of-fund structure investing in portfolio funds of emerging managers, sponsored by leading asset manager with over $5 billion in assets under management.
- Representing master-feeder hedge fund structure investing primarily in publicly traded equity and debt securities of United States and foreign issuers.
- Representing multiple fund structures which actively invest in commodity markets and seasoned fixed income securities.
- Serving as an Independent Director on several Investment Management Companies (registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority under the Securities Investment Business Act).
- Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), Chief Analyst, 2018-2020
- MUFG Alternative Fund Services (Cayman) Limited, Deputy Group Head, 2007-2018
- KPMG, Cayman Islands, Audit Senior Accountant, 2005-2007
- Ernst & Young, Zimbabwe, Audit Supervisor, 2002-2005
- Hedge funds
- Private equity funds
- Private credit funds
- Fund of funds
- Emerging Markets
- Commodity Pools
- Investment management companies
- Registered Director with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA)
- CFA Charterholder – Member of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute and the CFA Society of the Cayman Islands
- Chartered Accountant – Member of the Cayman Islands Institute of Professional Accountants (CIIPA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ)
- Member of 100 Women in Finance
- Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy (Accounting and Finance) – University of Zimbabwe
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting Science (Honours) – University of South Africa.
