Monarq Asset Management ("Monarq"), a leading multi-strategy investment firm formerly known as MNNC Group, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sam Gaer as Chief Investment Officer to lead its Directional Investment Strategy. With over 25 years of leadership experience across institutional trading, market infrastructure, and systematic asset management, Sam Gaer brings deep expertise to support Monarq's next phase of growth.

Following a decade of success in delta-neutral and market-making strategies, Monarq is expanding its directional capabilities to capture a broader range of risk-adjusted returns. The strategy emphasizes high-conviction themes, asymmetric exposures, and tactical volatility overlays—positioning the firm to navigate evolving market conditions with precision.

Monarq's Directional Strategy has delivered strong performance year-to-date, adhering to disciplined risk and capital allocation. Backed by global institutional capital across its USD and BTC-denominated funds, Monarq is now scaling access to Directional as a complementary source of absolute returns within its platform.

"We're excited to welcome Sam to the team," said Shiliang Tang, CEO and Managing Partner. "His leadership enhances our ability to compound asymmetric returns and anticipate key catalysts in the digital asset space."

Mr. Gaer previously co-managed BlockTower Capital's flagship fund and founded Katana Financial, a leading systematic trading firm. He also served as CIO at FINRA and EVP/CIO at NYMEX, where he led major technological transformations and strategic initiatives. He holds a degree in Corporate Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.