About
Lydia So is a Lead Portfolio Manager at Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC, based in San Francisco, CA. She was appointed to this role in August 2022 and directs the research process for growth securities within the Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund. Her responsibilities include security selection, portfolio construction, and driving the firm's expertise in growth-oriented equities research for emerging markets.
With over fifteen years of investment management experience, Lydia specializes in international and emerging market equities, with a particular focus on growth strategies in emerging Asia and small-cap companies. Prior to joining Seafarer, she served as a portfolio manager at Rondure Global Advisors and spent 15 years at Matthews Asia, where she built and led teams overseeing small-cap and innovation-focused funds and launched the Matthews Asia Small Companies Fund.
Lydia holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Davis, and is a CFA charterholder. Her career is distinguished by her deep expertise in bottom-up security selection and fundamental research, notably contributing to fund launches and management in the emerging markets small-cap and technology sectors.
Career History
| Organization | Role | Date Range | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seafarer Capital Partners | Portfolio Manager | May 2022 to Present | — |
| Rondure Global Advisors | Portfolio Manager | Oct 2020 to May 2022 | — |
| Matthews Asia | Portfolio Manager | Jan 2008 to Apr 2020 | - Created and launched firm’s first dedicated Asia small-cap equity strategy in 2008. - Lead manager of Asia small-cap strategies with proven record in positive stock selection and alpha generation vs... |
| Matthews Asia | Senior Research Analyst | Jun 2004 to Jan 2008 | - Joined as a research associate to build out research coverage for Chinese equities. Earned subsequent promotions to research analyst and to senior research analyst, expanding coverage to a broad uni... |
| RCM | Portfolio Associate | Jan 2001 to Jun 2004 | - Supported a large team of senior portfolio managers of US Large Cap growth mandate in the day-to-day management of institutional, private client and wrap accounts. - Disseminated morning research an... |
| Kochis Fitz (now known as Aspiriant) | Investment Operations and Client Service Specialist | Jul 1999 to Jan 2001 | - Assisted financial planners/wealth advisors in all aspects of the wealth management process from onboarding to implementation of investment strategies to tax planning for high net-worth individuals ... |
Education
University of California, Davis
Bachelor's degree, Economics
1996 — 1999
Others at Seafarer Capital Partners, LLC (4)
| Name | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|
 | Co-Portfolio Manager, Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund | San Francisco, CA , United States |
N Nicholas Borst | Vice President, Director of China Research | San Rafael, CA , United States |
P Paul Espinosa | Portfolio Manager | Atherton, CA , United States |
B Brent Clayton | Senior Analyst, Analyst | United States |