Paul Kirkby, and his experienced investment team, are joining Martin Currie in a deal that also sees the firm acquire – subject to regulatory approval – the existing, Cayman domiciled, USD167 million RIT PK Japan Fund.
Once the necessary approvals and consents are received, Kirkby will lead the Martin Currie Japan long/short investment proposition and is joined by his current co-manager Paul Smith plus incumbent manager, Claire Marwick.
Martin Currie has a long pedigree in Japanese equities and over 15 years’ experience in Japan long/short equities. In addition, Kirkby has a proven performance record stretching over a 30 year career, and his team was nominated for the AsiaHedge Awards for best Japan Fund in 2005, 2009, 2012 and again in 2015. By combining these resources, Martin Currie is aiming to establish itself as a leading provider in this specialist area through offshore, UCITS and managed account client offerings.
Willie Watt, (pictured) CEO Martin Currie, says: “This is a specialist area of the market with very few quality offerings. By combining the proven expertise of Paul Kirkby and his team along with Martin Currie we believe that we bring a product solution to clients that can help them navigate the cyclical nature of Japanese equities and capture the return opportunities available.”
Paul Kirkby, CEO PK Investment Management, says: “We are excited to be joining Martin Currie given our compatibility in terms of investment culture and shared values. We look forward to having the support of a large firm which has purposefully retained the best characteristics of a boutique thus ensuring that client interests are central to everything that they do.”
