2009 Alumni Award for International Achievement

Mr Michael Hintze (BSc '75 BE '77)

Michael Hintze receives the Alumni Award for International Achievement for his professional accomplishments in the field of international finance and his exceptional contributions to philanthropic causes in the UK, Europe and Australia.

Based in London, Michael is the founder, CEO and Senior Investment Officer of CQS, a diversified global asset management group with a focus on convertibles and credit portfolios. Established by Michael in 1999, CQS now manages highly successful hedge funds, loan products and long only funds. His distinguished career in the finance sector – which followed stints as an electrical design engineer and Captain in the Australian Army – began at New York’s Salomon Brothers.

In 1984, Michael joined Goldman Sachs where he established the firm’s Euro Convertible and European Warrants business in London. During this time, he also acted as a consultant on the London Stock Exchange’s Markets Development Committee to report on the new market structure and served as Chairman of the Euro Convertible and European Warrants Committee of the International Securities Market Association. Other responsibilities included representing Goldman Sachs in financial sector forums such as London Stock Exchange committees and Securities and Investments Board reviews. After 12 years with Goldman, Michael joined investment bank CSFB, initially as Managing Director and European Head of Convertibles and subsequently as Managing Director in the Leveraged Funds Group where he developed the strategy and management team for the CSFB Convertible & Quantitative Strategies Fund; which later became CQS Convertible & Quantitative Strategies Fund.

Michael also has a passion for enriching society through large-scale philanthropic gifts donated through his family’s charitable foundation. His generosity has enabled the restoration of frescoes by Michelangelo in the Vatican and provided vital support to diverse community projects and UK cultural institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, The National Gallery, the Old Vic Theatre and The Trinity Hospice.In 2006, Michael contributed significant funds to establish the Centre for International Security Studies and Michael Hintze Chair in International Security at Sydney University. In 2008, he was honoured as Australian of the Year in the UK.

He holds a BSc in Physics and Pure Mathematics and a BEng in Electrical Engineering both from the University of Sydney, and is a former resident of St John’s College and tutor at Sancta Sophia College.

In addition to his University of Sydney degrees, Michael also holds an MSc in Acoustics from the University of New South Wales and an MBA from Harvard Business School.