Mark Burgess will step down from Columbia Threadneedle this month to take a career break after nine years with the firm.
Global head of equities William Davies will succeed Burgess (pictured) as CIO for Europe, Middle East and Africa following his departure on 27 September.
Burgess joined Threadneedle Investments in November 2010 as CIO.
In a statement he said: “In this ‘age of longevity’, I am looking forward to taking a break to spend time with my family, pursue some of my other interests and consider the next phase. The ability to hand over the mantle to William Davies, an exceptional investor and people leader, has made the decision easier and I look forward to seeing the continued growth and success of the EMEA investment team under William’s leadership.”
He became deputy global CIO in 2017 for the merged entity Columbia Threadneedle.
Colin Moore, global chief investment officer, said: “On behalf of the leadership team and everyone at Columbia Threadneedle I’d like to thank Mark for his substantial contribution to our global investment teams, to the broader organisation and to our clients. Mark has been a passionate advocate of our investment process and has led and nurtured a culture of collaboration that is core to our enviable long-term performance record. He has maintained a steadfast focus on our responsibility and duty of care to our clients. As deputy global CIO he has helped shape our global investment organisation and capability to respond to the differing needs of our clients around the world.”
Davies joined Threadneedle Investments at the company’s inception in 1994 as European equities portfolio manager. He became head of European equities in 1999 and head of global equities in 2011.
More said he would provide continuity to Columbia Threadneedle’s investment process.
With Davies’ promotion, Neil Robson becomes lead manager of the Threadneedle Global Select fund and the Threadneedle (Lux) Global Select fund. Robson has been deputy manager of the funds since 2011, a role that will now be assumed by Davies.
Burgess added: “It has been a privilege to lead our EMEA Investment team for close to 10 years. It’s been a fantastic role and a tremendous journey, both as an investor and as a leader of an asset management business in a time of challenge and change for our industry.
“As asset managers, what we do and how we do it is important – for clients, employees and partners and for the economic health and prosperity of our society. I have had the pleasure of working with an outstanding team both in EMEA and globally and am proud of what we have achieved and our record of delivering for our clients.”
