Former Wells Capital Management Portfolio Manager Samir Sikka and Estancia Capital Partners Launch New Value Investment Management Firm Sapience Investments

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Sept. 28, 2016 -- Sapience Investments, LLC announced its launch as a private, independent investment management firm offering high conviction Small and SMID Cap Value equity strategies.  Samir Sikka, former Lead Portfolio Manager of the Pelican Value Equity team at Wells Capital Management, will serve as CEO/Chief Investment Officer of Sapience Investments, LLC, in which employees have majority equity ownership. Private equity fund Estancia Capital Partners, L.P. (“Estancia”) is a minority stakeholder in the new firm. 

Samir Sikka brings 20 years of investment expertise to Sapience.  At Wells Capital Management since 2006, Mr. Sikka directed Small and SMID Cap Value strategies currently representing approximately $2.5 billion in assets managed on behalf of the team’s prominent list of institutional clients.  Under Mr. Sikka’s leadership, the Small Cap Value strategy’s annualized returns (gross of management fees) have exceeded its benchmark by more than 400 basis points over the past ten years.  Previously, Mr. Sikka was a Senior Vice President with Trust Company of the West and earlier, he was an associate director with UBS Investment Bank.  Mr. Sikka earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

The former Pelican team of five research analysts, Alex Alvarez, CFA, Pranav Rawal, Raj Subramanian, CFA, David Chamberlain III, CFA, and Jonathan Jin, along with Director of Client Service/Operations Kristen Webster, Director of Trading Brian Tatro, and Administrative Assistant Kelly Mitchell, will continue in their respective roles at Sapience. The team joins Sapience Chief Compliance Officer Nate Statler and Chief Financial/Administrative Officer Scott Partridge.

“We view our clients as partners.  As an independent, majority employee-owned investment management boutique, Sapience can ensure that our firm’s values and interests are completely aligned with those of our clients,” said Samir Sikka.  “Sapience is composed of an established team, each individually selected, with an excellent long-term track record of performance. Our investment philosophy is distinguished by a deliberate focus on evaluating investments from the perspective of a business owner, applying private equity principles to investing in the public markets.  Importantly, as stewards of our clients’ assets, we are committed to generating superior risk-adjusted long-term results while fostering partnerships built on integrity, transparency and results.”

Michael Mendez, Founding Partner of Estancia stated, “Since first meeting Samir six years ago, I have observed in him two key attributes that Estancia believes are essential for an investment management business to evolve from ‘success to significance': First, he employs a well-defined, disciplined ‘institutional quality’ investment process, providing a discernable edge.  Further, Samir has proven to be intellectually honest both as an analyst and portfolio manager. We are proud to be the founding member of Sapience, a firm that promotes long-standing client partnerships and investment success.” 

About Sapience Investments, LLC

Sapience Investments, LLC is an independent investment advisor registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.  For more information, please call 949-662-1011 or visit sapienceinv.com.

About Estancia Capital Partners, L.P.

Estancia is a specialist private equity firm focused on small to lower middle market investments in Institutional Quality Asset Management, Wealth Management, and related Business Services firms. The Principals have a history of partnering with management and investment teams in providing equity, growth and working capital to facilitate strategic and opportunistic development of portfolio companies including management buy-outs from larger financial firms, private ownership/succession transitions, growth initiatives, recapitalizations and investment team lift-outs.  For more information, please visit estanciapartners.com.

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