Simon Brazier will stand down as manager of Ninety One’s UK Alpha strategy on 31 March, and will leave the asset manager at the end of May as he considers the next step in his career.
Brazier (pictured) has managed the £1bn UK equity fund since 2015 and was joined by co-manager Anna Farmbrough in July 2022. Once Brazier has stepped aside, Ben Needham will take up his position alongside Farmbrough.
The new pairing will also manage the firm’s UK Equity Income strategy, which Needham has led since August 2019.
Needham and Farmbrough joined Ninety One’s Quality team, of which Brazier is head, in 2014, and have worked closely with him throughout their tenure. Consequently, the firm said that it expects a seamless transition.
Brazier’s UK Alpha fund is up 2.9% over the last five years, compared to a 4% return from the UK Large-Cap Equity index.
Brazier started at Ninety One in December 2014, having moved from his position as head of UK equities at Columbia Threadneedle, also managing the Threadneedle UK fund.
He started his 25-year career in the industry at Schroders in 1998.
