GAM’s head of global equities Mark Hawtin (pictured) has now joined Liontrust, alongside his former team, to form a new global equities arm at the firm.
The team, which will also comprise GAM’s David Goodman, Kevin Kruczynski and Pieran Maru, will mark the eighth investment team under Liontrust’s belt.
The managers will take over the helm of “a range of global equity funds”, including Liontrust Balanced and Liontrust Global Alpha. Hawtin and Goodman will also head up the GAM Star Alpha Technology fund, which will be moved across to Liontrust.
Meanwhile, Ewan Thompson, Tom Smith and Ruth Chambers, along with their emerging market and Japan equity funds, will move internally to join the global equities team.
Hawtin will carry his overarching investment philosophy across to the team, which is based on an ever-changing world and finding the companies which are quickest and best at adapting their business models accordingly.
It was first announced in January that Hawtin, who has 40 years of experience in investment, would move across to the firm alongside Jeremy Roberts, who will become head of global distribution. The move comes less than one year after Liontrust’s failed takeover bid for GAM, which was plagued by scandal and investor opposition over the course of several months.
John Ions, CEO of Liontrust Asset Management, said: “Mark and his team are highly respected and bring a strong track record. They align with the Liontrust investment approach of active management through the application of a rigorous investment process, long-term investing, high-conviction portfolios, and engagement with companies and clients.
“Mark Hawtin and his team are a significant addition to Liontrust given the demand for global equities from clients in the UK and internationally.”
Hawtin added that he and his team are “really excited to have joined Liontrust as it is in the process of building a strong global equity platform”.
“We look forward to extending the product offering at a time when the global equity opportunity is so great,” he said.
“My experience of running global funds at Marshall Wace and then GAM has allowed me to see markets through many different cycles. This knowledge will serve us well as we navigate a period marked by unprecedented levels of change caused by structural disruption as well as geopolitical uncertainty.”
