Industry report: Fund manager changes Q4 2020

As part of our investment process, our Manager Research Team meticulously screen the full universe of asset managers and their investment strategies, following a quantitative and qualitative process. We assess managers based on the three precise drivers and philosophies that underpin their investment performance: investment skill, risk factors and idiosyncratic style.

Integral to our on-going process, involves being in close contact with our underlying fund managers to understand their performance, positioning and also any changes that have occurred within their businesses. Each quarter we publish a Fund Manager Changes industry report that will collate the business and team related highlights that occurred during the quarter.

Some of the highlights from the previous quarter include:

Allan Gray

• Ruan Stander will be leaving Allan Gray at the end of February 2021. Ruan managed a portion of clients’ Balanced, Equity and Absolute portfolios, as well as the Optimal portfolios, which are smaller in nature.

Foord

• Pravarshan Murugasen has been promoted to head of Equities. This new role combines elements of the old ‘head of Research’ role (previously held by portfolio manager Nick Balkin) and some of the deputy CIO role (which has been discontinued following Daryll Owen’s retirement).

ABAX

• Rashaad Tayob, head of Fixed Income, will be departing the business at the end of February. Abax’s multi-asset income funds, including the Nedgroup Investments Flexible Income Fund, will now be run by Philip Liebenberg.

Sasfin

• Philip Bradford, previously the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Sasfin Asset Managers, has departed the business to explore another opportunity in the industry.
• Arno Lawrenz has joined the business as its new CIO

Catalyst

• Kim Gibb has been promoted to chief operating officer of Catalyst Fund Managers with effect from 1 January 2021. Kim was previously head of Global and Hedge Fund Operations.

Prescient Investment Management

• Guy Toms, presently the chief investment officer, will be stepping away from the CIO position. The position will be taken over by Bastian Teichgreeber, who is presently the head of Asset Allocation and Investment Research. Guy will be staying on as a strategist for the investment team.

Prudential

• There have been several changes in terms of portfolio manager responsibility at Prudential. These changes will impact the House View Equity fund, Prudential SA Equity Fund, Balanced Fund and various other institutional specialist and multi-asset mandates.

Click here to read the full report.