Stonehage Fleming has appointed Prandhana Naidu as deputy portfolio manager of the firm’s $4bn (£3.5bn) Global Best Ideas Equity Strategy.
Naidu, who has been a senior equity research analyst on the team since July 2024, will work closely alongside the fund’s new manager Carolyn Bell, who officially took over from Gerrit Smit last week.
Prior to her time at Stonehage Fleming, Naidu spent more than 10 years at Melville Douglas, where she was an equity analyst specialising in consumer staples. She spent an additional three years working at the firm as a fund manager.
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Before this, Naidu spent three years as a portfolio manager at Sasfin Frankel Pollak Securities.
Stonehage Fleming Best Ideas Equity Strategy is a global equity fund with a quality bias. Launched by Smit in August 2013, the fund invests for both capital growth and income, paying out a dividend annually.
While Smit will take a step back from the day-to-day running of the strategy, he will chair its investment committee as part of his new role as chair of Stonehage Fleming’s global equity management business.
The Stonehage Fleming Global Best Ideas fund has found itself in the fourth quartile for its total returns over one, three and five years relative to its sector avererage, according to data from FE fundinfo.
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Commenting on Naidu’s appointment, lead fund manager Bell said: “Pran has been an important member of the team since joining the business and has added considerable value through her high-quality company and industry research.
“Her promotion to deputy portfolio manager recognises both her contribution to GBI and the significant experience she has acquired working on global equity mandates throughout her career.
“I’m delighted that she will be supporting me in this important role going forward.”
Naidu added she is “excited to take on the role as Carolyn’s deputy”. “We both firmly believe in the investment philosophy and approach to portfolio management that have been the hallmarks of the strategy since its launch well over a decade ago,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to working with Carolyn and the team as we continue to focus on GBI’s highly disciplined approach to quality growth investing.”
