NEW YORK and ZURICH, March 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vontobel Asset Management, the global investment management firm, announces today that it appoints Matthew Benkendorf, the long- standing deputy to Rajiv Jain, as his successor and as Chief Investment Officer of the Quality Growth boutique. Rajiv Jain has decided to leave the firm, effective May 31, 2016, as he moves on to realize his personal entrepreneurial plans. With this, Vontobel puts a well-established, solid succession plan in place as well as lays the foundation for the sustainable future development of the firm and its client base.
Matthew Benkendorf, an industry veteran with 20 years of investment experience, joined Vontobel Asset Management Inc. New York in October 1999, and became Senior Portfolio Manager in 2008. During his 17 year tenure with Vontobel, Matthew Benkendorf has worked closely with Rajiv Jain in developing the Quality Growth investment process and shaping the firm's culture. Matthew Benkendorf has built in-depth investment expertise across all of the firm's investment strategies; he has served as the deputy to Rajiv Jain on the Global Equity strategy and is the lead Portfolio Manager on the U.S. Equity strategy. For more than 5 years, Matthew Benkendorf built a successful track record as the lead Portfolio Manager of the European Equity strategy. As a generalist analyst, he has worked on all portfolios throughout the years.
With this succession, Vontobel ensures a seamless transition and seeks to protect performance for its clients. Matthew Benkendorf, a co-architect of the Quality Growth investment style, will continue to rely on the firm's strong investment team and one of the industry's best defined and most robust investment processes, which has been in place for over two decades.
Matthew Benkendorf will take over as lead Portfolio Manager of Vontobel's flagship Global Equity, International Equity, and Emerging Market Equity investment strategies. Donny Kranson, formerly deputy Portfolio Manager of the European Equity strategy, will take over as lead European Portfolio Manager from Rajiv Jain. Brian Bandsma, formerly deputy Portfolio Manager of the Far East Equity strategy, will take over as lead Far East Portfolio Manager from Rajiv Jain.
"Rajiv Jain's outstanding contribution has been the bedrock of the firm's success over the past 22 years," said Axel Schwarzer, Head of Vontobel Asset Management. "As Rajiv is handing over responsibility to Matthew Benkendorf, we are delighted to rely on our strong succession planning and to broaden out our investment leadership. Matthew is a proven Portfolio Manager and respected leader of our firm, who will take greatest care to protect performance for our clients and ensure high consistency for the Quality Growth investment style in global equity investing."
Rajiv Jain said, "I have worked closely with Matthew for 17 years. Matthew deeply endorses the Quality Growth investment style and knows our portfolios intimately. He is ideally placed to step up now to head the Quality Growth boutique."
"It is a great privilege to take over for Rajiv Jain. The Quality Growth boutique is unique as it relies on one of the best defined and most consistently applied investment styles in the world, backed up by strong track records that reach back two decades. To protect these values for our clients going forward, I am proud to rely on a perfect bench of talent. Our Portfolio Managers and Analysts have worked together over different market cycles. They share the same investment belief and an outstanding passion to perform," said Matthew Benkendorf.
About Vontobel Asset Management, Inc.
Established in 1984, Vontobel Asset Management, Inc. is a global investment firm, based in New York. Its Quality Growth boutique is dedicated exclusively to managing global and regional long-only equity portfolios. The firm's clients comprise both intermediaries and institutions, including some of the world's leading corporations, and public and private pension funds. The boutique is committed to providing excellence in portfolio management and dedicated, timely client service. The team seeks to generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns in its six strategies: Global, International, Emerging Markets, U.S., European and Far East Equity. The Quality Growth philosophy of seeking to identify high-quality growth companies at sensible prices is the main tenet that underlies its investment decisions. The investment team employs bottom-up, fundamental research to invest in quality companies over the long term, as some of its core holdings have been in the portfolios for more than 10 years. Vontobel Asset Management, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vontobel AG, an exchange-listed Swiss company.
About Vontobel AG
Vontobel's mission is to protect and build the wealth our clients have entrusted to us over the long term. Specializing in active asset management and tailor-made investment solutions, we provide responsible and forward-looking advice. In doing so, we are committed to Swiss quality and performance standards. With their good name, our owner family has stood by these principles for generations. As of 30 June 2015, Vontobel held CHF 181 billion of client assets. Over 1,400 employees worldwide provide first-rate, customized services for clients with an international focus. The registered shares of Vontobel Holding AG are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The Vontobel families and the Vontobel Foundation hold the majority of shares and votes in the company.
Legal information This document is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer of any kind. The services described in the document are supplied under the agreement signed with the service recipient. The nature, scope and prices of services and products may vary from one country to another and may change without notice at any time. Certain services and products are not available worldwide or from all companies of Vontobel. In addition, they may be subject to legal restrictions in certain countries.
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SOURCE Vontobel Asset Management, Inc.
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