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    Multi-asset

    Multi-asset

    Our multi-asset approach is designed to access an opportunity set broad enough to give us high levels of confidence that we can deliver a smoother path towards our targeted returns, through a wide range of market environments.

    £6.1bn

    multi-asset total strategy assets under management1

    2004

    flagship multi-asset strategy launched

    15

    investment professionals within the multi-asset team2

    19

    years of average of industry experience across the team2

    Benefits of our multi-asset approach

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    The strategy aims to deliver returns of cash +4.5% pa (gross of fees) over rolling five-year periods and aims to deliver its targeted returns with less than half of the volatility of global equities as well as demonstrating materially lower drawdowns.

    Two key principles underpin and differentiate our approach:

    1. Flexible allocation across a broad range of traditional and alternative investment classes and strategies, aiming to generate returns and spread risk.
    2. Dynamic asset allocation, only investing where we see potential for a positive return and shifting exposures as opportunities emerge.

    This flexibility is harnessed within a multi-dimensional risk management framework with focus on containing downside.

    Our investment process harnesses the specialist skills of Insight’s Multi-Asset Strategy Group, a team of 15 dedicated portfolio managers with an average of 19 years’ experience.1

    Overall responsibility for the strategy lies with Matthew Merritt, Head of the Multi-Asset Strategy Group.

    Key materials

    Our multi-asset monthly covers latest performance and activity in our flagship multi-asset portfolio, and an overview of the team’s views.

    Download the latest report

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    Multi Asset Monthly Update
    587 kb

    Our multi-asset team examines shifting market environments and outlines how these developments are shaping our flagship multi-asset portfolio.

    View the latest webinar

    We discuss the influence of growth, inflation and real interest rates on asset allocation decisions. 

    Our multi-asset capabilities are available to investors in the UK via the following pooled funds:

    For institutional investors globally, we offer segregated portfolios and overlay capabilities.

    Meet some of our team

    Our stable, experienced investment teams lie at the heart of why an increasing number of pension schemes, companies and individuals trust us to manage their money.

    Our dedicated team, formed of 15 investment professionals, has an average of over 19 years’ industry experience and draws on the knowledge and expertise of Insight’s 285 investment professionals to help design its solutions.2

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    Matthew Merritt

    Head of Multi-Asset Strategy Group

    Matthew Merritt

    Head of Multi-Asset Strategy Group

    Matthew joined Insight in September 2004 and is Head of the Multi-Asset Strategy Group.

    He joined from Citigroup where as Head of Global Equity Strategy for Smith Barney he ran a top-rated equity strategy unit. Prior to joining Citigroup in 2000 he was Managing Director, Chief Investment Strategist at ING Barings which he joined in 1996. This followed four years at NatWest Securities as a global investment strategist. He started his career at the Bank of England in 1989.

    Matthew holds an MSocSc from the University of Birmingham in Money, Banking and Finance and a BA (Hon) in Economics from Nottingham (Trent) University.

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    Steve Waddington

    Co-Deputy Head, Multi-Asset Strategy

    Steve Waddington

    Co-Deputy Head, Multi-Asset Strategy

    Steve joined Insight in January 2008 and is a portfolio manager within our Multi-Asset Strategy Group.

    Before joining Insight, he spent five years at BT Financial Group, Australia (formerly Rothschild Australia Asset Management) where, from 2004, he was Head of External Investments, responsible for fund management and investment research. Steve started his career at Savills Commercial Ltd, where he was responsible for advising institutional and private company clients on property investment and development.

    Steve holds a BSc (Hons) in Valuation and Estate Management from the University of the West of England, Bristol and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales. He also holds the Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society of the UK and is a Chartered Surveyor.

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    Michael Ford, CFA

    Co-Deputy Head, Multi-Asset Strategy

    Michael Ford, CFA

    Co-Deputy Head, Multi-Asset Strategy

    Michael joined Insight in November 2003 and is a portfolio manager within our Multi-Asset Strategy Group.

    Prior to joining Insight, Michael worked at Deutsche Asset Management as a graduate trainee and also within the Performance Measurement Team. Michael holds a BSc (Hon) in Economics from the University of Nottingham.

    He also holds the Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society of the UK and is a CFA charterholder.

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    Jonathan Crone

    Portfolio Manager

    Jonathan Crone

    Portfolio Manager

    Jonathan joined Insight in September 2015 and is a portfolio manager within the Multi-Asset Strategy Group, having joined the team initially as an analyst. Prior to Insight, he spent a year at Marathon Asset Management working in the Performance and Attribution Team. Jonathan graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast with a BSc (Hons) in Actuarial Science and Risk Management. He also holds the Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society of the UK and is also a CFA charterholder.

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    Jenny Pham

    Portfolio Manager

    Jenny Pham

    Portfolio Manager

    Jenny is a Portfolio Manager within our Multi-Asset Strategy Group. She initially joined Insight’s Performance Team in 2014, where she managed a team responsible for the daily calculation of P&L and risk metrics for the Absolute Insight and multi-asset funds, produced monthly performance and attribution reports and implemented new features and automated P&L/risk calculations. Latterly, she was a Product Owner with oversight of various performance systems for multi-asset, LDI and fixed income portfolios and produced product roadmaps. Prior to Insight, Jenny spent over three years at State Street Global Advisors as an Equity Derivatives Portfolio Analyst Team Supervisor.

    Jenny holds a BSc in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics, Economics (MORSE) and an MSc in Management Science and Operational Research, both from the University of Warwick. She also holds the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) from the CFA Society of the UK, the Investment Operations Certificate (IOC) from the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment and is a CFA charterholder.

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    Shantanu Tandon

    Portfolio Manager

    Shantanu Tandon

    Portfolio Manager

    Shantanu joined Insight in October 2010 and is a portfolio manager within our Multi-Asset Strategy Group. Before joining Insight, Shantanu spent over four years at Architas Multi-Manager where he held fund management and research responsibilities across Axa Life entities, including Winterthur Life. He has also held positions at Mercer Investment Consulting, PwC and Investec Australia Ltd. Shantanu started his career in Australia at Retireinvest (formerly part of ING Group) in November 1998. Shantanu holds a BA (Hon) degree in Economics from the University of Delhi and an MBA from the University of Newcastle, Australia. He is also a CFA charterholder.

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    Stephanie Chan

    Portfolio Manager

    Stephanie Chan

    Portfolio Manager

    Stephanie joined Insight in March 2023 and is a portfolio manager within the Multi-Asset Strategy Group. Prior to joining Insight, Stephanie spent 11 years with the multi-asset team at Franklin Templeton Investments, where she was a member of the portfolio management team on a range of absolute return funds. She contributed to research and trade ideas, with focus on macro and FX. She started with the team as an analyst working on strategic asset allocation. Stephanie holds a BSc in Mathematics and Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an MA in Mathematics of Finance from Columbia University. She is a CFA charterholder.

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    Christopher Broadley

    Portfolio Analyst

    Christopher Broadley

    Portfolio Analyst

    Christopher joined Insight’s Multi-Asset Strategy Group as a Portfolio Analyst in November 2022. He is responsible for assisting portfolio managers with investment and portfolio management processes, including building and maintaining financial models, analysing economic data to support trading decisions and client reporting processes. He initially joined Insight in September 2021 as a Junior Investment
    Specialist within the Client Solutions Group, focussing on Insight’s fixed income, multi-asset and specialist equities capabilities. Christopher graduated with a BSc in Mathematics and a MSc in Finance from Durham University.

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    Andy Burgess

    Investment Specialist

    Andy Burgess

    Investment Specialist

    Andy joined Insight in August 2014 as a fixed income investment specialist. Andy joined Insight from GE Asset Management (GEAM) where he was a portfolio manager responsible for managing the Euro Fixed Income Fund. Prior to this, he held various portfolio manager roles at GEAM’s predecessor companies. He started his investment management career in 1997 at National Mutual Life as an assistant portfolio manager, with a focus on Far East equities. Andy graduated from the University of Bristol with a BSc in Economics and Economic History and is an Associate of the CFA Society of the UK.

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    Vladimir Sovetkin, PhD

    Portfolio Manager and Quantitative Strategist

    Vladimir Sovetkin, PhD

    Portfolio Manager and Quantitative Strategist

    Vladimir joined the Multi-Asset Strategy Group in December 2023 as a Portfolio Manager and Quantitative Strategist. Prior to that he sat within Insight’s Specialist Investment Team as a Quantitative Strategist with responsibility for option overwriting and the construction of dynamic option protection strategies. Before joining Insight in January 2010, Vladimir spent two years at Hedge Funds Investment Management as a Research Strategist responsible for fund selection and risk assurance. He holds an MSc degree in Applied Mathematics from Saint Petersburg State University and an MPhil and PhD in Finance from the University of Wales, Bangor.

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