Mikhail Zverev joins Amati to develop new global equities strategy

01 February 2022

Independent boutique fund manager, Amati Global Investors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mikhail Zverev. Zverev, whose career in global equities spans more than 20 years, worked alongside Amati Founder and CEO, Dr Paul Jourdan, at First State Investments (FSI), between 2002 and 2007, and was most recently Head of Global Equities with Aviva Investors.

Zverev started his career in finance in 1998 with boutique investment bank Trigon Capital, helping to raise growth capital for Eastern European technology companies. Following a spell with Citigroup, where he was a Mergers & Acquisitions analyst, he joined First State Investments as a Senior Equity Analyst, working alongside Jourdan on the FSI British Smaller Companies Fund and FSI AIM VCT. In 2007 Zverev moved to Standard Life Investments as a Global Equities Portfolio Manager, with promotion to Head of Global Equities in September 2012. He made the switch to Aviva as Head of Global Equities towards the end of 2018, relaunching the firm’s Global Equity Unconstrained strategy a year later.

Zverev boasts an impressive track record of outperformance as a manager of global equities – particularly in the areas of innovation and technological change – and has been appointed to develop a new global equities strategy.

He managed the SLI Global Equity Unconstrained strategy over a period of eight years, to 1st January 2018, outperforming the strategy’s benchmark and global sector peer group, and delivering top quartile performance.

Zverev’s considerable experience in global equities complements that of a deeply experienced Amati team, best known for its expertise in managing UK Small Cap equities.

Amati CEO, Dr Paul Jourdan, is delighted to be welcoming his former colleague to Amati. “The global equity asset class presents a large and diverse opportunity set, full of dynamic companies at the forefront of change, powering unparalleled innovation. Mikhail brings a considerable wealth of experience in managing global equity funds, a proven track record, and tremendous insight into the ways in which the incredible rate of innovation in today's industrial landscape creates opportunities for investors

“We first worked together on the First State British Smaller Companies Fund from 2002-2007, so I can say with some certainty, that his appointment will add considerable weight to our investment management resource. He joins us at a seminal moment in Amati’s growth trajectory, and we look forward to working with him as we extend our capabilities into this asset class.”

Zverev is equally excited over his move to Amati. "I have long admired the business that the Amati team has built, the employee ownership model, the firm’s entrepreneurial culture, the investment performance the team has delivered and its complete focus on clients' best interests. I am delighted to have an opportunity to be part of that going forward, and to be working with Paul once more.”

Zverev observes the insights from innovative companies at the leading edge of their industries that the firm’s management of its UK Smaller Companies Fund and AIM VCT products bring, and is “looking forward to seeing what the team can do together to bring this advantage to clients in the global equity space.”

Amati will seek regulatory approval for the new strategy and confirm further details in due course.