A new alternative mutual firm called Context Asset Management has launched in Bala Cynwyd, PA, while announcing details of its fund.

A new alternative mutual firm called Context Asset Management has opened its doors in Bala Cynwyd, PA, while announcing details of its first fund.

The firm noted that alternative mutual funds have been popular in recent years - providing hedge fund like returns but without the steep fees.

The company’s first fund - the Context Alternative Strategies Fund – is now available for retail and institutional investors.

According to Context, previous entrants into the alternative mutual fund space have primarily been either traditional mutual fund providers or hedge fund managers. However, the new firm believes it can offer a range of services - namely investing, asset allocation and manager selection at alternative and traditional asset management firms, family offices and large endowments.

The management team is led by chief executive Steve Kneeley; chief investment officer John Culbertson; and chief marketing officer Kevin Garton.

As CEO, Kneeley will oversee areas including strategic planning, marketing, distribution, compliance, finance, human resources and capital sourcing. Prior to joining Context, he was CEO of Spider Management, which provides investment management services to endowments and foundations, including the University of Richmond’s $2 billion endowment. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of Turner Investment Partners as well as president of The Turner Funds.

In his role as Context’s CIO, Culbertson is responsible for the firm’s strategic development and implementation of the investment strategy and serves as chair of the investment committee.

Culbertson previously ran the investment committee and was CIO for a large family office, where he oversaw a portfolio of hedge funds and was responsible for asset allocation decisions. In addition, he was a partner at Cooper Neff, where he founded the London office and traded derivatives on fixed income, commodities and equities. 

Lastly, Garton is in charge of strategy, marketing communications and brand development for the firm. Before Context, he served as executive vice president, chief marketing and revenue officer for Neat, a Philadelphia-based company that markets hardware, software, cloud and mobile solutions.