Morley Fund Management, one of the UK’s largest fund managers, has appointed Ian Lancaster and James Follows to two newly created positions of high alpha UK equity fund managers.
- Lancaster and Fellows to continue to manage the Elite MoneyGuru Income with Growth Unit Trust
Morley Fund Management, one of the UK’s largest fund managers, has appointed Ian Lancaster and James Follows to two newly created positions of high alpha UK equity fund managers. This brings to four the number of newly created high alpha positions in Morley’s UK equities team in the past two months.
Mervyn Douglas joined Morley from Legal & General Investment Management on 8 May and Chris Murphy joins from AXA Framlington on 19 June. Ian and James also join the team in June.
Ian and James will continue to manage the Elite MoneyGuru Income with Growth Unit Trust after joining Morley.
Morley’s chief investment officer, Katherine Garrett-Cox, said: ”I am delighted that Ian Lancaster and James Follows are joining us. In the last two months we’ve substantially added to Morley’s UK equities offering by selecting four top fund managers with proven high alpha expertise.
“Right now there is a sense of great momentum within Morley’s equities team. We are facing the future with huge confidence in our potential to grow and provide the highest quality and sophisticated fund management for clients.”
Ian Lancaster joins Morley from Progressive Alternative Investments Limited, where he managed the Elite MoneyGuru Income with Growth Unit Trust and Stockbridge – a small and mid cap equity long/short hedge fund. Prior to this he was head of investment at MG Capital plc and previously smaller company investment manager for General Accident. He brings 17 years’ fund management experience to the team.
James Follows most recently worked alongside Ian Lancaster as assistant fund manager and has 16 years of fund management experience. Prior to Progressive Alternative Investments, James was head of research and assistant fund manager at MG Capital plc.
Mervyn Douglas joined Morley from LGIM where he had been working as a fund manager since early 2005. He previously worked at Morley from November 2002 and was lead manager on the Norwich UK Equity Fund. Mervyn managed the LGIM Growth Trust Fund which delivered first decile performance in 2005*.
Chris Murphy is joining from Axa Framlington where he has been working as a fund manager since 1993, most recently responsible for running growth mandated portfolios for institutional and retail clients. Chris has managed the Framlington UK Growth Fund which delivered first quartile performance in 2005*.
All four fund managers will report to Morley’s head of UK specialist equities David Lis.
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*Source, S&P's Micropal, % change, offer to offer basis, GBP. Past performance is not a guide to the future.
For further information please contact:
Fiona Baker 020 7809 8617
Morley Fund Management 07736 883 832
Notes to editors:
Morley Fund Management
- Morley Fund Management Limited is the UK-based asset management business of Aviva plc. Firms within the Morley group of companies manage Ł156bn from offices around the world as at 28 February 2006.
- Morley manages both institutional and retail funds under the Morley brand. It also acts as investment manager for a range of retail investment funds, marketed in the UK under the Norwich Union brand, and international funds marketed under the Aviva Funds brand.
Awards
- Property Fund Manager of the Year, Pensions Management Awards 2006
- Property Fund Manager of the Year, Property Week Awards 2006
- SRI Provider of the Year, Global Pensions 2006
- Central European Property Awards 2005 - Outstanding Company of the Year & Investor of the Year
- UK Pensions Awards 2005 – Property Manager of the Year
- Property Week Awards 2004 – Best Property Fund Manager
- Pensions Management Provider Awards 2003 – Best Property Fund Manager
- Fund Manager of the Year - Pensions Week Awards 2002
- Specialist Manager of the Year - UK Pensions Awards 2002
Further information about Morley Fund Management can be found at www.morleyfm.com.