Vontobel star Jain sets out expansion plans

Euro Stars A-rated manager Rajiv Jain has announced plans to bolster the management line-up at the value-orientated US-based boutique he oversees on behalf of Vontobel Asset Management.

Jain, who runs four funds covering global, emerging markets and Asian equities, has said he would look within Vontobel to add co-managers to the firm’s European and Far Eastern funds.

The Vontobel Fund European Value Equity fund is currently run by Euro Stars AA-rated manager Matthew Benkendorf, while Jain is the lead manager on the Luxembourg-domiciled Vontobel Fund Far East Equity strategy.

Announcing the plans, Jain said: ‘I am committed to growing our investment platform. We will nominate co-portfolio managers for our European and Far Eastern products. The ability to promote from within assures the stability and consistency of our investment process.’

This is part of wider plans at Vontobel’s US-based investment arm to strengthen existing funds and meet the demands of clients in the wider markets.

‘We will expand our global equity and sub-strategies to fulfil the demands of our global clients, particularly those in Australia and the Middle East,’ said Jain.

Jain has proven to be one of the most consistent emerging market equity managers and featured prominently in Citywire Global analysis. He was also among the 10 most popular fund managers in the Citywire database according to research carried out last summer.

The Vontobel Fund Far East Equity fund has returned 41.71% in the three years to the end of December 2012. Over this period, its Citywire benchmark, the MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan TR USD, rose 22.88%.

Meanwhile, over the same period, the Vontobel Fund European Value Equity fund returned 48.7%. This compares to its Citywire benchmark, the FTSE World Europe TR EUR, which rose 21.39%.