The London-based chief executive of Sofaer Capital, a hedge fund firm that sold its European business earlier this year to return to its founder's roots in Hong Kong, has decide to leave the company after finding it "impractical" to divide his time between the two cities.

David Helm, who joined Sofaer in August 2008 after seven years as a sales and marketing director at Odey Asset management, will step down at the end of the month, according to an email sent to Financial News.