Quilter Investors has added 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 list is a group of asset managers appointed to offer a range of high-quality strategies across different asset classes, sectors, and geographies.

The funds are predominantly used in the Quilter managed portfolio service (MPS), WealthSelect.

Quilter stated that using sub-advised mandates in this way allowed the WealthSelect portfolios to switch between fund managers without the need to buy or sell funds that would usually trigger a capital gains tax charge and increased dealing costs.

Following the appointment, Darina Valkova and Marcus Morris-Eyton will take on the management of the fund, supported by chief investment officer of European and global growth, Thorsten Winkelmann.

The team previously managed the fund during their time at Allianz Global Investors, and Quilter said this move ensured consistency in the way the fund was managed from a “philosophy and investment process perspective”.

AllianceBernstein’s appointment means it joins the likes of Janus Henderson, JP Morgan, Schroders, and Fidelity as one of the 20 global partners.

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

“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,” commented Quilter WealthSelect MPS portfolio manager, Stuart Clark.

“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.”

AllianceBerstein CEO of EMEA, Honor Solomon, stated: “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 AllianceBernstein to the partnership and taking our relationship with Quilter from strength to strength.”

---