A well-regarded fund manager at the UK-based firm is leaving the investment industry later this year.

The highly regarded lead manager of JO Hambro Capital Management’s UK Opportunities fund, John Wood, intends to retire from the investment industry in September.  
 
“John has generated excellent returns for our clients over the past 11 years,” said Ken Lambden, JOHCM’s chief executive. “He has always invested with conviction and been prepared to swim against the tide. We thank him for his tremendous contribution.” 

Rachel Reutter and Michael Ulrich, co-managers of the JOHCM UK Opportunities team, will assume lead responsibilities for the fund and all segregated portfolios, with Wood continuing until the end of September to ensure an orderly transition, a statement from the firm said yesterday. 

“John has built a strong team around him,” said Lambden. “Rachel and Michael are highly capable, experienced investors, and we are confident in their abilities to continue the good work that John led.”

Reutter and Ulrich will continue the same investment philosophy and approach followed by the UK Opportunities team, namely investing in long-term compounding growth stocks with strong franchises and robust balance sheets which are trading on attractive absolute valuations. 

Wood has developed a strong reputation. According to Trustnet, through managing the JOHCM UK Opportunities Strategy since its launch in 2005, he has built a “highly competitive track record in the IA UK All Companies sector”. 

Wood qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Ernst & Young before joining Newton Investment Management in 1995, according to Trustnet. As a director in Newton’s UK equity team, he managed a variety of UK funds.