Liontrust fund manager Anthony Cross is building out his £7.7bn UK equities team by hiring one of his sell-side contacts to become a trainee fund manager.
Alex Wedge joins from N+1 Singer, where he was a senior member of the equity sales team. As well as selling investment ideas to clients like Liontrust, Wedge advised corporate clients on raising equity capital.
At Liontrust, he will help the team with stock selection and management of the Economic Advantage teams with a focus on small and micro-cap companies.
Cross (pictured) said: “Having built a relationship with [Wedge] over many years, we are certain that his sharp, inquisitive mind and strong interpersonal skills will be invaluable to the team as we look to continue to build upon the success of the Economic Advantage franchise in the future.”
Wedge also joins Julian Fosh, Victoria Stevens and Matt Tonge in the Economic Advantage team, which runs the Liontrust Special Situations, UK Growth, UK Smaller Companies and UK Micro Cap funds.
Cross has previously been highlighted as one of the most significant”key person risks” at any UK asset manager. His team is currently responsible for 40.6% of Liontrust’s £19.1bn assets under management.
But Willis Owen head of personal investing Adrian Lowcock said the addition of another team member would help address this key person risk. It made sense for Liontrust to be adding to a team that adds so much value to the business, Lowcock added.
