In its Japan equities segment, management of the M&G Japan and the M&G Japan Smaller Companies funds will return from Eastspring Investments to M&G on 1 September 2015. This follows consultation with Eastspring, the Asian asset management business of Prudential, M&G said in a statement yesterday.

Johan Du Preez, a 20-year financial industry veteran, returns to M&G in July with a view to managing the two Japan equities funds, subject to regulatory approval. He joins from Eastspring Investments, where he was part of a team that has been running Japan equities mandates for over a decade. Du Preez will manage the funds to the same investment objective, process and approach as the incumbent managers.

At the UK equities operation, Louise Nash, manager of the M&G Smaller Companies Fund, is leaving M&G at the end of July to move to Austria for family reasons. She will be replaced by Garfield Kiff, who has been with M&G for 15 years. He previously ran an institutional strategy focusing on smaller companies and remains deputy manager of the M&G UK Growth Fund.

In the European sector, Mike Oliveros will become co-manager of the M&G European Smaller Companies Fund on 1 July. He will co-manage alongside incumbent manager Charles Anniss, providing additional resource. Anniss also manages the M&G European Fund and two large mandates for an institutional client; he has worked at M&G since 2011 and has 10 years of investment experience. He remains deputy on the M&G Global Leaders Fund.