Premier Miton bolsters European team with RWC hire as it plots second fund launch

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14 January 2021

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Premier Miton has bolstered its European equities team with a hire from RWC as its plans a second fund launch for lead managers Carlos Moreno and Thomas Brown.

Russell Champion is slated to join Premier Miton later this year and will assist Moreno (pictured) and Brown on the £2.2bn European Opportunities fund.

At RWC he worked on the Continental European Equity and European Equity funds fronted by former Fidelity manager Graham Clapp. Champion has worked alongside Clapp for close to 13 years, first as an equity analyst at Fidelity and then as a partner and assistant portfolio manager at Clapp’s boutique Pensato Capital which he launched in 2008. Pensato was acquired by RWC in 2017.

Carlos Moreno and Thomas Brown to launch European sustainable fund

His appointment comes as Premier Miton prepares to launch a sustainable fund for Moreno and Brown later in 2021.

The Europe ex-UK fund will invest in companies with a responsible and sustainable focus and be based on the same investment philosophy and approach as the pair’s European Opportunities fund.

However, it will primarily target larger companies, unlike the existing fund which is multi-cap and has a mid-cap bias.

Moreno commented: “I am delighted Russell is joining our European equities team, providing additional expert investment analysis to help us with the running of the European Opportunities fund and our planned new responsible, sustainable and larger company focused fund.

“Post-Brexit, and as the Covid vaccines are rolled out across the continent, the investment landscape in Europe will continue to change but we are sure it will also continue to present significant opportunities which can be effectively harnessed via our proven, active investment approach.”

Last month the European Opportunities fund celebrated its five-year anniversary. Over that timeframe it is has returned 186.4%, nearly three times higher than the IA Europe ex-UK’s gains of 65.0%.