Fintech firm Arta Finance this week named Tomas Arlia its chief investment officer and head of alternative investments. A former CIO of GE Asset Management, Arlia brings more than 25 years of experience to further the company’s offerings in alternative assets, including private equity, private credit, venture capital, hedge funds, and real estate.
Before joining Arta Finance, Arlia served as chief investment officer and portfolio manager at GE Asset Management. He oversaw a $3 billion global hedge fund and an approximate $1 billion portfolio in private equity fund investments. Under his leadership, GE also ventured into direct private equity investments in Latin America. Arlia drew on this experience to create his own alternative investments firm, DoubleBlue, spanning direct investing in private equity and private credit and hedge fund investing across global public equities and fixed income.
“As we continue to see an uptick of interest in alternative investments on our platform, we are thrilled to have Tomas heading up our private markets and alternative investments at Arta,” said Caesar Sengupta, co-founder and CEO of Arta Finance. “His deep expertise in this space, along with his leadership experience and global knowledge, make him an ideal addition to develop our private markets offerings. Arta’s mission is to provide access to the kinds of investment opportunities long available only to the ultra-wealthy, and Tomas is the leader to bring this mission to life.”
In his new role, Arlia will focus on the three main challenges for most retail investors: access, complexity and liquidity. He will bring institutional quality investment options to Arta’s members and make them accessible via structures that allow lower ticket sizes. Additionally, his role includes overseeing go-to-market strategy and new products and leading asset allocation and portfolio construction for customers.
“In an environment where the age-old bastions of financial security—corporate pension plans and traditional family offices—are either evaporating or unattainable for most, now is the right time for a digital family office,” said Arlia. “As the head of alternatives, I’m excited to help lead a shift in financial inclusivity. With the team’s technical and UX capabilities second to none, I believe Arta has all the components to succeed in its mission.”
Arta Finance was founded in 2021 with more than $90M in financing and a founding team of former Google executives. The platform works to help people diversify and expand their spectrum of investment options by offering access to wealth-building tools and financial products that, until now, were reserved for the ultra-wealthy and institutions.