Rob Davis

Partner, Merlin Securities

Rob is a marketing and sales professional to the hedge fund industry. He began the prime brokerage segment of his career as part of the senior management team that built a successful prime brokerage business at Montgomery Securities, which through acquisition became Bank of America Prime Brokerage Services. While there he served as Managing Director and National Sales Manager. Following Bank of America Rob was the Chief Operating Officer of the hedge fund company, SDS Capital Group. Most recently. he was a Partner at Merlin Securities, a broker dealer offering prime brokerage services to hedge funds. Prior to prime brokerage, Rob enjoyed a successful institutional equity sales career calling on investors in New York and Boston for firms including Morgan Stanley, Dillon Read and Oppenheimer. It was while at Montgomery in 1998 that Rob conceived of and founded Hedge Funds Care (HFC), the industry charity dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse which has become a global movement in more than twelve cities and four countries. At the time, there was much negative press about hedge funds due to the collapse of Long Term Capital. Rob felt that someone should pull people in the industry together and do something to counteract the resulting bad press and accomplish something great for children at the same time. He determined that rather than just talk a good game as usual, that he should try to make it happen himself and set about doing so. Rob chose saving children from the trauma of abuse as the cause that would be served. He had personally witnessed the terrible effects of child abuse in his first job as a school teacher, and felt it was the issue he could be passionate about in asking industry colleagues to join together for a common cause. Putting that first evening together was an example of the stars aligning and the universe providing. It was a great success that led to a second then a third and so on. On February 13, 2008, HFC sponsored its 10th annual, “Open Your Heart to the Children Benefit” in NYC. In addition, events are now held in Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, Boston, Toronto, Grand Cayman and London with several more potential branches on the drawing board. The funds raised in each branch are donated through a rigorous grant selection and evaluation process to organizations in that area focused on preventing child abuse and providing treatment to those who have been victimized. More information about how it works can be found on the website at www.HedgeFundsCare.Org. One of the many positive facets of HFC is the way it dovetails perfectly with business, which in this case (the Hedge Fund industry) is the ultimate networking and referral business. What better way to network and develop relationships than under the banner of protecting children. As a result, every moment spent involved with HFC also serves a fundamental business goal. That was one of the unexpected and serendipitous surprises that have allowed Rob and so many others to focus time and attention on what has become an amazing organization. From the nearly 50 person Global Board to the 7,000 plus hedge fund industry people who participated in some way last year, HFC now serves as a way to bring philanthropy and business together in a symphony of harmony that has saved many children and families. Many thanks to all who have or will take part.