Amati Global Investors has hired Scott McKenzie from Saracen Fund Managers, where he was head of research and manager of the TB Saracen UK Alpha and TB Saracen UK Income funds.
McKenzie, who has worked in UK equities for more than 20 years, will join Amati’s experienced investment team, which includes Dr Paul Jourdan, David Stevenson, Anna Macdonald and Dr Gareth Blades.
In his new role, McKenzie will work across the TB Amati UK Smaller Companies fund, Amati AIM VCT plc and the Amati AIM IHT Portfolio Service.
“I am thrilled to be joining the investment team at Amati Global Investors,” he said. “It is a business I have followed and admired for some time now and I look forward to helping the team build upon the considerable progress they have made in recent years.”
McKenzie’s former funds – Saracen UK Income and Saracen UK Alpha – are currently in the top quartile of the IA UK Equity Income and IA UK All Companies sectors, respectively, over one, three and five years. Saracen UK Alpha, which has a longer track record, is top quartile over 10 years.
Performance of TB Amati UK Smaller Companies vs sector & benchmark over 5yrs
Source: FE Analytics
In the past five years, the £746m TB Amati UK Smaller Companies fund has made a total return of 132.56 per cent compared with a 84.33 per cent gain for the average fund in the IA UK Smaller Companies sector and 65.56 per cent for the Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM index.
Jourdan, chief executive of Amati Global Investors and co-manager of the TB Amati UK Smaller Companies fund, said: “We have known Scott for many years, have always held him in the highest regard, and are delighted that he has agreed to join us.
“He comes with a proven track record and adds considerable weight to our investment management resource at a time when we are experiencing considerable growth. Our team-based approach means we can immediately integrate Scott into Amati’s investment philosophy and process.”