Spyros Mesomeris & team, Deutsche Bank

The buy side says: “They produce cutting-edge research.”

Spyros Mesomeris guides his Deutsche Bank foursome up two spots to its first visit to the winner’s circle. The strategists’ work is “academically rigorous but at the same time pragmatic,” one fan applauds. Given ongoing concerns about global growth and Europe’s sovereign-­debt crises, the team will continue to incorporate “top-down views and signals into portfolio construction and stock selection,” says London-­based Mesomeris, 36. Budgeting for continued uncertainty makes sense, he adds, because “potential outperformance when the market turns” requires keeping an eye on the valuations of different countries, sectors and styles. Mesomeris holds a Ph.D. in empirical finance from City University London’s Cass Business School and worked as a quant strategist at Credit Suisse and then Citi before joining Deutsche in 2009.