Four global equity fund managers have announced they are leaving Aviva Investors, including Richard Saldanha (pictured), manager of the £34.6m Social Transition Global Equity fund and Andrea Carzana, co-portfolio manager of the £722m Climate Transition Global Equity strategy.
Meanwhile, Matt Kirby and Francois de Bruin have also announced they are leaving the business to “pursue other opportunities in the market”.
Saldanha, Kirby and de Bruin are working with the investment group to hand over the portfolios in an orderly transition, while Carzana left the business last month.
In a statement, the group said it will be hiring to bolster the global equity team in due course. It added the firm remains committed to its equity franchise, and has put in place an interim management plan to minimise disruption for clients.
The Climate Transition Global Equity fund was launched in June 2020, with Curzana joining the team as co-manager in January 2022. The strategy will continue to be managed by Max Burns, co-manager since July 2021 and assistant portfolio manager Joshua French following the same investment process and style, supported by the broader equity and sustainable investing teams, the group said.
The Social Transition Global Equity fund was launched in November 2021 with Saldanha and Kirby taking over management responsibilities in July 2023.
As a result of their imminent departure, the interim management responsibilities for the Social Transition Global Equity will be led by Jonathan Toub, who joined the global equity team at Aviva Investors in 2018.
A statement from the investment group continued: “We thank [Saldanha, Kirby and de Bruin) for their contribution to the business over the years and wish them well in future endeavours.”
Saldanha also runs the firm’s £581m Global Equity Income fund with Kirby, and the £516m Global Equity Endurance strategy alongside De Bruin. Saldanha joined Aviva Investors in 2006, and has managed global equity income mandates for the firm since 2009. De Bruin was previously an analyst at Bridge Fund Managers, before arriving at Aviva in 2014. Kirby began his investment career at Aviva in 2016 as a graduate intern, before becoming an analyst covering European healthcare a year later. He was promoted to co-portfolio manager of the Aviva Investors European Equity strategy in 2020.
