Desmond Low-Kum

Desmond leads Vernal Point’s operational due diligence (ODD) program and is responsible for developing and implementing the firm's ODD program, which focuses on the assessment of operational controls within private fund investment firms and their key service providers.

Desmond is also the Managing Principal of Diligent Controls an Operational Due Diligence (ODD) consultancy firm.  Desmond has over 25 years of ODD, accounting, compliance, operations and audit experience in both alternative and traditional institutional investments.

Prior to providing independent consulting, Desmond led the ODD function at Stanford Management Company (SMC), which manages Stanford University's endowment. In March 2007 Desmond implemented the first in-house ODD program at SMC, with assets under management exceeding $25 billion, and employing over 240 external investment managers worldwide. Desmond conducted or managed over a thousand ODD reviews, and prior to joining SMC in December 2005, Desmond was a member of Stanford University's Internal Audit and Institutional Compliance Department, and SMC was one of Desmond’s internal audit clients. In South Africa, Desmond worked as a Chartered Accountant for KPMG in the Johannesburg office.

Desmond has Bachelor and Post-Graduate degrees from Rhodes University, and the University of South Africa respectively. He is a Chartered Accountant (SA); Associate of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (UK); Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA); and Certified Investments and Derivatives Auditor (CIDA). Passed the USA AICPA exams.