InvestmentsDec 16 2019

JO Hambro hires former Hermes team to run ESG fund

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JO Hambro hires former Hermes team to run ESG fund

JO Hambro will launch an environmental sustainable and governance global equity fund for a team of former Hermes fund managers it has hired.

The fund will be managed by a team of four, led by Tim Crockford, and will formally launch in 2020. Mr Crockford launched an ESG fund at Hermes in 2017. 

It will invest across the market cap scale, and will be capped in size. The amount at which the fund will be capped will be revealed when the fund comes to market in 2020.

The product is being launched in partnership with specialist ESG consultancy firm Regnan, whose parent company Pendal also owns JO Hambro Capital Management.

Alexandra Altinger, UK chief executive of JO Hambro Capital Management, said: “This is a highly important strategic initiative for JOHCM and Pendal. The team hire expands our investment capability while enabling us to leverage Regnan’s ESG expertise. It allows us to credibly provide specialist socially responsible products that meet growing client demand for investment approaches that go beyond traditional risk and return considerations.” 

The acquisition of Regnan was completed in February 2019, specifically to develop an ESG team.

Tom Sparke, investment director at GDIM, a discretionary fund management firm in Cambridge said: “The prospective fund sounds like it will be a genuinely positive impact fund, based upon strong ESG principles and backed by an experienced team.

"The high conviction approach is not well served in the sustainable space, with a couple of exceptions, and a fund that follows these principles will be very interesting to follow.  We will watch this one closely as our ethical portfolios are getting more and more attention.”

david.thorpe@ft.com

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