Energy Lead Michael Pope Exits $6.5 Billion Hedge Fund Freestone Grove

The departure follows a period where Freestone leadership identified more compelling opportunities outside of natural resources. While Pope’s analysts will be integrated into other desks, the firm is simultaneously pushing to expand its headcount elsewhere. This includes the upcoming addition of former Citadel partner Micah Nance to lead technology, media, and telecoms, alongside Tsz Hin Kwok, who joins as the firm’s first event-driven portfolio manager.

Freestone, founded by Todd Barker, has grown its staff to 105 people since its 2024 launch. Despite a challenging start to 2026, where the fund saw losses in the first quarter, the firm recovered in the second quarter to finish the first half of the year up roughly 1%. The firm remains active in recruitment, recently promoting analysts Daniel Goldberg and Charlie Witmer to portfolio manager roles covering consumer and healthcare stocks, respectively. Freestone declined to comment on the staffing changes, and Pope’s profile has been removed from the firm’s website.