The winners of the Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year Awards 2020 have been announced.
Taking an online format for 2020, the awards are now in their 14th year and recognise the best of the UK fund management profession, with winners selected by the Morningstar Manager Research team of analysts.
The winner of the Rising Talent Award is Kacper Brzezniak, co-manager of the Allianz Strategic Bond fund. The five-star rated fund was launched in 2016 and has delivered annualised returns of 12.96% over three years, and it up 27.84% year to date.
Jon Miller, director of UK manager research for Morningstar, said: “This category is intended to highlight an individual who has made a real mark on their respective portfolios and has the potential to continue delivering strong returns for investors.”
Brzezniak joined Allianz in 2016 and joined the strategy bond fund in February 2019. Brzezniak said: “I think what’s really important for us is to have a flexible approach and always be learning, because things can change unexpectedly. You’re always going to make mistakes, but the key is not to make the same ones over again.”
The winner of the Outstanding Fund Manager Award is Clare Hart, manager of the JPMorgan US Equity Income fund. The fund, which Hart has run since 2008, has a coveted Gold Morningstar Analyst Rating and has delivered annualised returns of 12.67% over the past 10 years.
Miller said: “We look to this category to identify the manager we see as remarkable, both in terms of style and approach, who stood above ppers with exceptional returns over the longer-term.”
Hart has also run the US version of the fund since 2004. She told Morningstar: “I think to be an ‘outstanding investor’ means to really think independently and you have to be willing to have an approach and think about things in the market and pursue it, even when the market disagrees with what you’re doing.”
Outstanding Investment House
Finally, the Outstanding Investment House was awarded to Schroders, a British asset management group founded in 1804, which is now responsible for more than £525 billion of assets. Miller said: “Schroders, with an Above Average Parent Rating, stood out for its managers and teams buying into a demonstrable culture, growing in a measured way and adding depth to teams in areas seeing success.”
Johanna Kyrklund, chief investment officer at Schroders, said: “I think we've always had a very long-term commitment for active management. Something that we've always stood for, and it really permeates the culture of the place.”
The Fund Manager of the Year Awards winners are decided with the help of Morningstar’s Analyst Rating system, which assess three key pillars – People, Process and Parent – as well as taking into account how well funds are expected to perform after fees and taking risk into account.
Miller said: “The past few months have been a tumultuous period with difficult markets, unique challenges and uncertainty, all of which have posed serious challenges to even the most sophisticated of investors. But it’s not just about the short-term and all our winners have demonstrated skill in delivering for investors.”