Don Ebanks is a Managing Director and Global Head of Regulatory Advisory at Waystone and is based in the Cayman Islands. Don’s fund governance practice includes a wide range of sophisticated private investment funds. In addition, Don is responsible for regulatory and compliance matters across the firm globally.
Don has been involved in assisting numerous open-end and closed-end funds with US, European and Asia-based managers across various investment structures and strategies.
Don has a broad expertise in the governance, risk and compliance space, drawing on his over 20 years of financial services experience including governance, investment management, financial products, regulatory matters and distressed/restructuring scenarios.
Don was employed as the Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Portfolio of Finance & Economics within the Cayman Islands Government, where he provided policy advice to the Financial Secretary and Cabinet Ministers, routinely participating in, or leading consultative committees and working groups considering legislative amendments and other significant matters. He has continued to contribute in a similar capacity as a private sector participant in the legislative and regulatory consultative processes.
Don was the first Head of the Compliance Division at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), a Division which he established after initially serving as the Deputy Head of the Investment Services Division. He managed all serious enforcement matters for CIMA and was responsible for the case management of complex distressed fund matters.
Skills and experience
- Representing funds managed by a leading Asia-based quantitative manager with over $1 billion in assets.
- Advisory committee representation to investment funds in connection with affiliated transactions and other conflict matters.
- Representing various funds employing long/short strategy and investing in Greater China and related investments, including equities, convertible bonds, credit instruments and listed securities.
- Representing funds investing directly in US real estate managed by one of the largest global banks.
- Representing private equity fund structures investing in all sectors with a focus on consumer, resources (energy, mining and agriculture), financial services and technology, sponsored by one of the largest private equity firms in China.
- Representing funds primarily employing a long only strategy focused on India and investing in listed equities, swaps and other instruments.
- Representing funds investing in a portfolio of asset-based credit investments including residential mortgage-backed securities, sponsored by a leading global asset manager with over $2 billion of assets under management.
- Representing funds with relative value arbitrage strategies, sponsored by a leading asset manager with over $5 billion assets under management.
- Representing various fund of hedge fund structures investing with various sub-managers with individual investment approaches and styles utilizing various innovative and sophisticated investment techniques.
- Representing long only and fixed income funds sponsored by one of the largest investment banks in China.
- Representing funds investing primarily in companies engaged in commodities-related businesses in emerging markets.
- Representing fund of fund structures investing in a diversified portfolio of listed and unlisted funds with a Pan-Asia focus, sponsored by leading Asian asset manager with over $600 million assets under management.
- Representing funds investing primarily in equity securities, foreign exchange, government and corporate debt across international markets.
- Representing a fund investing principally in transactional, structured and non-structured trade finance financial instruments issued by participants across the value chain and across the materials spectrum in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.
- Representing an investment management company engaged in private equity investments in Greater China.
- Overseeing and coordinating the teams in the various Waystone international locations with respect to compliance requirements and adherence to jurisdictional regulations and reporting to stakeholders on relevant issues.
- Hedge funds
- Fund of funds
- Distressed investment funds
- Emerging markets
- Private equity
- Investment management company
- Regulatory compliance
- The Secretariat, Portfolio of Finance & Economics, Cayman Islands Government, Senior
- Assistant (Financial) Secretary & Executive Director, 2004-2007 & 2008
- Ernst & Young, Managing Director, 2002-2004
- Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, Head of Compliance, 2000-2002
- Barclays Private Bank & Trust, Manager, Investments, 1996-2000
- Coutts & Co, Portfolio Manager, 1995-1996
- Member of the Cayman Islands Directors Association’s Executive Committee
- Member of the Cayman Islands Compliance Association
- University of Western Ontario, Canada, M.A. Economics, 1995
- University of Western Ontario, Canada, B.A. in Economics, 1994
