Liontrust has promoted Natalie Bell (pictured) to named fund manager of its Liontrust UK Smaller Companies and Liontrust UK Micro Cap funds.
A member of Liontrust’s Economic Advantage team since August 2022, having moved across from the firm’s Responsible Capitalism team after a year of joining, she will run the mandates alongside Anthony Cross, Julian Fosh, Victoria Stevens, Matthew Tonge and Alex Wedge.
Bell moved to Liontrust in 2021 from EY, where she spent six years as a manager and senior manager in the corporate governance team.
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Launched in 1998, Liontrust UK Smaller Companies – whose longest-serving manager Anthony Cross has run since inception – has lost 11.5% over the last three years, outperforming its IA UK Smaller Companies sector average by 4.3 percentage points according to FE Fundinfo data.
Liontrust UK Micro Cap, which was launched in March 2016, has lost 2.4% over the three years and resides in the same sector. Liontrust UK Smaller Companies has £1.1bn in assets under management, while Liontrust UK Micro Cap has an AUM of £145.6m.
Anthony Cross, head of the Liontrust Economic Advantage team, said: “Since moving across into fund management, Natalie has consistently impressed us with her diligence and skill in analysing companies. She has quickly become an integral member of the team, and her recent tenacity in leading our efforts to lobby for government support for the UK equity market has been especially notable.
“Natalie’s promotion to become a named manager of the UK Smaller Companies and UK Micro Cap funds is richly deserved and a natural step in her continued career progression.”
Bell added: “As someone who is passionate about the UK market and the power of smaller companies, I am very proud to be stepping up as a named manager of the Liontrust UK Smaller Companies and UK Micro Cap funds. They have a strong heritage and I look forward to building on their success as part of this highly experienced team.”
Bell’s promotion comes shortly after the firm’s hire of Alexander Game as fund manager on the Economic Advantage team, who officially began at the firm today.
