Having joined New Capital – a subsidiary of EFG Asset Management – in June, John Leahy will oversee the firm’s UK equities offering alongside running a new fund.
The as-yet-unnamed fund, which is still in development, is due to launch later this year, targeting small and mid-cap opportunities within the UK equities space.
The decision to bolster the group’s UK capacity comes from a desire to capitalise on what New Capital sees as a strong domestic economic backdrop for equity investors.
“The UK economy is looking very healthy and I believe some of the greatest opportunities lie within the UK small and mid-cap sectors,” said Leahy.
“Through my active bottom-up investment approach, I will seek to identify high-quality companies whose long-term opportunities are not fully reflected in the benchmark”
The UK equities specialist’s former berth was in charge of UK smaller company strategies at Hermes Investment Management, including the Hermes UK Small and Mid Cap UCITS, following a stint with G. Ullman Fund Management.
Leahy’s hire comes three months after the launch of the New Capital Global Equity Conviction Fund in May, the firm’s 10th UCITS vehicle.
Moz Afzal, EFGAM CIO, said: “We are very pleased to have an experienced portfolio manager of John’s calibre and proven track record join New Capital. His appointment will be instrumental in helping us further develop our pan European and global equity franchise.”
