Brevan Howard Asset Management LLP Pillar 3 Disclosures. Brevan Howard (2014). All Rights Reserved.

Transcription

2 Regulatory Context The following disclosures are provided pursuant to the Pillar 3 disclosure rules as laid out by the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ) within section 11 of its Prudential Sourcebook for Banks, Building Societies and Investment Firms ( BIPRU ). The regulatory aim of the disclosures is to improve market discipline through additional transparency. The prudential framework for investment management firms consists of three pillars under the Capital Requirements Directive which has been implemented by the FCA through the General Prudential Sourcebook ( GENPRU ) and BIPRU: Pillar 1 sets out the minimum capital requirements for the investment manager; Pillar 2 deals with the Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process ( ICAAP ) and the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process through which the investment manager and the regulator satisfy themselves as to the adequacy of capital; and Pillar 3 requires the investment manager to publish its objectives and policies in relation to risk management, and information on its risk exposures and capital resources. The disclosures below are the required Pillar 3 disclosures and apply solely to Brevan Howard Asset Management LLP (the Firm ). The disclosures do not apply to the funds managed by the Firm as described below, which are exposed to different risks. Unless otherwise defined, capitalised terms used herein have the meanings given to them in BIPRU. The disclosures reflect the arrangements and financials of the Firm as at 31 March 2014 unless otherwise indicated. Background to the Firm The Firm is an investment manager based in London, United Kingdom, and is incorporated in England and Wales as an English Limited Liability Partnership. The Firm is a solo UK entity authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom to conduct investment management business. The Firm is a BIPRU firm without retail clients, and does not hold regulatory permissions to manage or hold client money or client assets. The Firm s primary business activity is to act as investment manager in respect of certain investment funds for which Brevan Howard Capital Management LP ( BHCM LP ) acts as manager. BHCM LP grants the Firm a discretionary mandate to provide investment services in respect of some or all of the portfolios of these funds, subject to any contractual restrictions set out in the relevant investment management agreement, and any investment restrictions described in the prospectus for the relevant funds. In addition to investment management services, the Firm provides certain middle-office and back-office support services to BHCM LP. Verification The information contained in this document has not been audited by the Firm s external auditors and does not constitute any form of financial statement and must not be relied upon in making any judgement on the Firm. 2/6

3 Materiality BIPRU Pillar 3 rules (BIPRU R and BIPRU R) provide that Pillar 3 disclosures are only required where the information would be considered material to a user relying on that information to make economic decisions. Proprietary and confidential information BIPRU Pillar 3 rules (BIPRU R and BIPRU R) provide that firms may omit information where the information is regarded as proprietary or confidential. BIPRU R - Risk Management Objectives and Policies Governance framework The Firm s governance arrangements are headed by the Board of Partners (the Board ). The Board, as part of its regulatory duty to apportion key responsibilities, has resolved to delegate general oversight of the Firm s business to the Executive Committee of the Board (the Executive Committee ). The Executive Committee operates as the governing body of the Firm. It meets on a monthly basis and on an ad hoc basis if circumstances so require, and is responsible for the day to day running and oversight of the Firm on behalf of the Board. The Executive Committee reviews, amongst other things, the level of fund capital and risk limits allocated to individual traders, the Firm s financial information (such as monthly accounts, regulatory returns, and audited year end accounts), marketing activity, HR matters, the information technology environment, the ICAAP, internal and external audit reports and related recommendations, operational risk and compliance reports, and status reports from departmental heads. A representative of the Executive Committee sits on each of the Firm s management committees which report into the Executive Committee, normally as the Chairman of that specific committee. This provides assurance to the Executive Committee that relevant items are being identified and reviewed and that items which are material in light of the Executive Committee s risk appetite are reported to the Executive Committee. In addition, and where relevant, the Committees provide appropriate written reports detailing any issues for escalation to the Executive Committee. Individual Executive Committee members also provide positive assurance at the meetings that there are no other material items to report or escalate from their respective departments or from their reporting lines. Risk management objective and framework The Executive Committee adopts a 3 lines of defence model. Heads of Department and their staff have primary responsibility for managing and mitigating the risks specific to their area. The risk management practices and processes in place at this level constitute the 1 st line of defence. The 2 nd line of defence is held by the management committees supported by risk and control functions such as Fund Risk, Compliance and Operational & Business Risk functions. The management committees are responsible for oversight and monitoring of the key risks facing the Firm. The 3 rd line of defence is provided by the regular, independent, risk based audits performed by the Internal Audit function. These provide independent assurance on the effectiveness of the Firm s risk management, control and governance processes. 3/6

4 The Executive Committee is responsible for determining the risk appetite for the Firm. The Firm has established a risk management framework to identify, measure, monitor, report and mitigate risks. Risks identified through the operation of the risk management framework are assessed as part of the Firm s ICAAP and Pillar 2 processes. The risk management framework sets out the responsibilities and escalation procedures for the identification, monitoring, and management of risks. Specific personnel are assigned responsibility for the risks across the Firm s business units. The Executive Committee takes overall responsibility, with the assistance of risk, compliance and control functions, for identifying material risks to the Firm and implementing appropriate mitigating controls. Risks and mitigating controls are periodically reassessed, taking into account the Firm s risk appetite. Actions are taken to improve the control framework when risks are identified which fall outside of the Firm s risk appetite, or when weaknesses are identified in the Firm s mitigating controls. The Head of Internal Audit conducts ongoing audit testing and controls assurance reviews to cover the areas assessed as higher risk through the risk management framework, and also any areas flagged as being of particular interest or concern to the Executive Committee. The Head of Internal Audit is responsible for providing independent assurance that the Firm s risk management and internal control frameworks continue to function as designed, as well as providing recommendations on improving controls to lower risks within the business. Where appropriate, external advisors are appointed to provide technical subject matter expertise, insights to leading good practice processes and controls, and resources support for detailed testing if needed. Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process ( ICAAP ) The Firm s ICAAP includes an assessment of the design and performance of the internal controls in place to mitigate risks, the probability of the risk occurring, the potential financial and reputational impact, and the adequacy of the Firm s capital base. The Executive Committee formally reviews and approves a finalised ICAAP document on at least an annual basis (or more frequently if there are material changes to the Firm s business model and risk exposures). The Executive Committee, as part of its review of the ICAAP, sets the Firm s risk appetite, validates that the Firm s key material risks have been considered and assessed, and validates the stress testing scenarios. The Pillar 2 capital requirements of the Firm are determined through a range of methods including scenario analysis of extreme events and stress testing within the ICAAP. BIPRU R Capital Resources As a BIPRU firm, the Firm maintains sufficient capital to meet its regulatory capital requirements and takes a prudent approach to the management of its capital base. The amount and type of capital resources of the Firm as at 31 March 2014 are set out in the table below: 4/6

5 Table 1: Capital Resources as at 31 March 2014 CAPITAL RESOURCES m Tier One Capital Partnership capital Audited reserves Tier Two Capital 0.0 Tier Three Capital 0.0 Total Capital The adequacy of the capital held by the Firm is assessed regularly, and at least annually, as part of the ICAAP framework and is subject to approval by the Executive Committee. The most recent ICAAP (and Pillar 2) review took place in October As a BIPRU firm and in accordance with GENPRU R, the Firm is required to calculate its variable regulatory capital requirements as the higher of: (i) the sum of the market and credit risk requirement, and (ii) the Fixed Overhead Requirement ( FOR ). The Firm has calculated its FOR in accordance with the rules and guidance set out in GENPRU R to GENPRU G, which amounts to 13.98m as at 31 March The credit and market risk capital requirements of the Firm amount to less than the FOR. Therefore, the overall Pillar 1 capital requirement of the Firm is the FOR of 13.98m. Table 2: Fixed Overhead Requirement as at 31 March 2014 Fixed Overhead m Risk Weight FOR m Non-variable annual expenses % FCA Remuneration Code BIPRU R - Remuneration The Firm has adopted a remuneration policy that complies with the requirements the FCA's Senior Management Arrangements, Systems and Controls Sourcebook ( SYSC ) and most notably chapter SYSC 19C that sets out the BIPRU Remuneration Code and related guidance on proportionality. As a BIPRU firm (that has no other BIPRU firms within its corporate group), the Firm falls within proportionality level 3 under the BIPRU Remuneration Code regime. The Firm has concluded that, on the basis of its size and the nature, scale and complexity of its legal structure and business, it does not need to appoint a distinct remuneration committee. Instead, the Executive Committee of the Firm sets and oversees compliance with the Firm's remuneration policy, including reviewing the terms of the policy on at least an annual basis. The Firm currently sets the variable remuneration of its staff in a manner which takes into account individual performance, performance of the individual's business unit and the overall results of the Firm. As permitted for firms falling within proportionality level 3, the Firm takes into account the specific nature of its own activities (including the fee-based nature of its 5/6

6 revenues) in conducting any ex-ante risk adjustments to awards of variable remuneration and, given the nature of its business, has disapplied the requirement under the BIPRU Remuneration Code to make ex-post risk adjustments. The Firm only has one "business area", which is its investment management business. All of the Firm's Code Staff fall into the "senior management" category of Code Staff (rather than the "risk taker" category) for the purposes of the BIPRU Remuneration Code. During the reporting year 2013, the Firm s Code Staff totalled 18 of which 15 were deemed to be holding a Significant Influence Function and 4 were performing a Control Function. The aggregate remuneration awarded to the Firm's Code Staff during the financial year ending on 31 March 2014 in respect of the 2013 performance year was 10.9m. 6/6