Quilter adds AllianceBernstein to its list of WealthSelect global partners

Quilter Investors said today (11 December) that it is adding AllianceBernstein to its list of WealthSelect global partners following the appointment of the firm to the Quilter Investors Europe (ex UK) Equity Growth Fund.

The WealthSelect global partners is a group of leading asset managers appointed to offer a broad range of high-quality strategies across different asset classes, sectors, and geographies. These funds are predominantly used in the Quilter managed portfolio service, WealthSelect.

Using sub-advised mandates in this way allows the WealthSelect portfolios to switch between fund managers without the need to buy or sell funds, which would usually trigger a capital gains tax charge and increased dealing costs.

As a result of the appointment, Marcus Morris-Eyton and Darina Valkova will take on management of the fund, with support from chief investment officer of European and global growth, Thorsten Winkelmann. The team previously managed the fund during their time at Allianz Global Investors and this move ensures consistency in the way the fund is managed from a philosophy and investment process perspective.

AllianceBernstein joins the likes of Janus Henderson, JP Morgan, Schroders, Fidelity, and many others as one of the 20 global partners.

The fund is currently used in WealthSelect’s Managed and Responsible portfolios and has £321m in assets under management (as at 12 November 2024).

Stuart Clark, portfolio manager of the Quilter WealthSelect Managed Portfolio Service, said: “Having worked closely with Marcus, Darina, and Thorsten in their previous employment, it felt a natural fit to appoint them to continue running our European growth mandate.

"With the European equity space facing a number of risks and opportunities amidst geopolitical upheaval, this move will give our clients consistency with the investment philosophy of the fund, as well as access to a high-calibre management team.

“AllianceBernstein has shown it offers the team a comprehensive level of support in terms of resources around company management access, ESG, and big data, so we are confident that the firm will bring a huge amount both to WealthSelect and Quilter as a whole.”

Honor Solomon, CEO of EMEA, AllianceBernstein, added: “Since joining AllianceBernstein in January this year, Thorsten and team have been a delight to work with. They have a compelling record in fundamental stock selection, a team-oriented culture, and an aligned set of values. The team has a strong focus on fundamental research and a disciplined investment process. We are excited to have one of this team’s strategies be selected within Quilter’s Global Partners.

“We look forward to bringing our strong and proven capabilities at AB to the partnership and taking our relationship with Quilter from strength to strength.”