23 May 2022
CCLA Investment Management, a responsible investor pioneer and the UK's largest charity investment manager [Note 1], today announces the appointment of Ben Funnell as Head of Investment Solutions.
Ben joins CCLA from Man Group (and formerly GLG Partners before the acquisition), where he worked as Chief Equity Strategist and then Portfolio Manager for both equity and multi-asset funds. Prior to this, he was at Morgan Stanley for eleven years as a multi-award winning European Equity Strategist [Note 2] and sat on the global asset allocation committee for the Private Wealth Management business.
In his new position at CCLA, Ben will be responsible for guiding investment strategy, conducting economic analysis and setting CCLA’s approach to asset allocation. Ben will report to CCLA’s Chief Executive, Peter Hugh Smith, and will be part of the Executive Committee, helping to drive strategic investment initiatives, meet evolving client demands and communicate CCLA’s investment proposition.
He takes over from Tim Matthews who temporarily stepped in as Interim Head of Investment Solutions in September 2021. Tim will be returning to his prior role of Director, Investments, but with extended responsibilities to include the management of CCLA’s cash and property teams alongside management of the alternatives team and investment responsibility for discretionary clients.
This appointment completes the reorganisation of CCLA’s investment team into three-pillars, covering Investment Solutions, Sustainability, and Investments, which includes the day-to-day management of CCLA’s equity and multi-asset funds.
Mr Peter Hugh Smith, CCLA’s Chief Executive, said:
I’m delighted to welcome Ben to CCLA and am confident that his experience will enable us to continue in meeting our objective to deliver excellence to our clients. In the current complex investment environment, we need to keep an even sharper eye on the horizon to continue to meet our clients’ evolving needs. Ben’s significant expertise in building strategies for inflationary environments will be invaluable in providing the strategic direction we require to safely navigate these challenging markets.
I would also like to say a big thank you to Tim Matthews for stepping into the investment solutions position while we conducted our search. He has been a safe pair of hands and we are very pleased he has agreed to take on expanded responsibilities in the investment team when he returns to the role of Director, Investments.
Mr Ben Funnell, said:
Over the last 10 years, CCLA has delivered excellent returns for its clients through an incisive understanding of the long-term secular trends influencing the investment landscape combined with outstanding stock picking abilities. I have always wanted to work in an Endowment environment with its longer time horizon, and with its plans to expand into the UK’s retail investment market, it is an exciting time to be joining. I look forward to working with Peter, Tim and the wider team to ensure we continue to serve CCLA’s growing client base, and deliver the long term value they expect.
NOTE 1 – As referenced in the Charity Finance Fund Management Survey 2021
NOTE 2 – #1 Ranked European Equity Strategist, Institutional Investor and Extel, 7 out of 9 years, 1998–2006
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