NEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Anson Funds, which invests $1.6 billion, has hired a senior executive from activist investor Legion Partners to build its shareholder activism and engagement strategy, the privately owned alternative investment firm confirmed to Reuters.

Sagar Gupta, who spearheaded many of Los Angeles based-Legion's investments in technology, media and telecommunications, is starting as a portfolio manager at Toronto-headquartered Anson Funds this week, the company said.

Legion, which helped put directors on the boards of retailer Kohl's and Bed Bath & Beyond, did not return a call for comment. Gupta could not be reached for comment.

At Anson Funds, Gupta will focus mainly on smaller and mid-sized companies in all sectors and regions but will concentrate on U.S. and Canadian corporations, the company said.

Gupta, who earned a business degree from the University of California, Berkeley, worked at Legion for nearly six years and established his credentials in the hedge fund and private equity industries with stints at Balyasny Asset Management and KKR, according to his Linkedin profile.

His move comes as investors continue to push companies for changes at a strong pace, with the bulk of demands concentrated in the technology, healthcare and industrial sectors, according to industry data.

Anson and Cable Car Capital are currently pushing for changes at cancer therapy focused MEI Pharma.

"Anson has a long history of driving differentiated and uncorrelated returns - activism is a natural extension for us," Anson's founder and chief investment officer Moez Kassam told Reuters.

The firm plans to work behind the scenes with target companies but is ready to launch public campaigns, including pushing for board seats for Gupta and others, the company said.

Anson returned an average 15% after fees every year since its launch in 2007, a person familiar with the numbers said.

Gupta joined the Momentive Global's board after the SurveyMonkey parent reached a settlement with Legion last year. He also led engagements at cloud computing company Twilio and Nutanix. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Jamie Freed)