Director Changes: January 31 - February 4
Atlantis Japan Growth (AJG) has a new board member. Noel Lamb joins as a non-executive director. He was formerly at Lazard Japan Asset Management so brings first-hand knowledge of Japanese investing.
Christina McComb joins the board of Baronsmead VCT 2 (BVT) as an executive director. She also serves as a non-executive director of two non-listed companies.
Sir Christopher Benson has been named as interim non-executive chairman at Eredene Capital (ERE) following David Coltman’s departure from this role. Sir Benson has served on the board since 2006. Coltman is now serving on the board of Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (EWI).
David Robins joins the board of Fidelity Japanese Values (FJV) as a non-executive director. He is also the chairman of the board of Henderson TR Pacific Investment Trust (HPI); he has held this position since 2004 and been on their board since 2002.
Simon H J A Knott has stepped down as Chairman of Rights & Issues (RIIT), having joined the board in 1966, just four years after the fund launched. David Bramwell succeeds him as Chairman, having been a member of the board since 2002. The fund continues to be run by his son Simon J B Knott, of Discretionary Fund Managers, and Knott Senior still serves on the board in a lesser capacity.
Lord Cromer has resigned as a director of Schroder Asia Pacific (SDP).
Arthur Copple joins the board of Temple Bar (TMPL) as executive director. Although this is his only current such role, he spent five years across two boards at Framlington closed-end companies.
Howard Myles has been appointed a non-executive director of World Trust Fund (WTR). This is his fourth current role on a closed-end fund board: he is a non-executive director at Aberdeen Private Equity (APEF) and Chairman of both JPMorgan Brazil (JPB) and Baker Steel Resources (BSRT). In addition, he has two non-listed company directorships. These roles combined are a considerable commitment, in our view, and we will be monitoring the quoted funds and their boards.
Director Buying
Aberforth Geared Income (AGIT) – Michael Greig
Aberforth Smaller Companies (ASL) – David Jeffcoat
Alliance Trust (ATST) – Katherine Garrett-Cox, Alan Trotter, Robert Burgess
Artemis Alpha Trust (ATS) – Mark Tyndall, Ian Dighe
Baronsmead VCT (BDV) – Andrew Crossley
F&C Investment Trust (FRCL) – Jeremy Tigue
Greenwich Loan Income (GLIF) – Geoffrey Miller
Henderson High Income (HHI) – Margaret Littlejohns
Invesco Leveraged High Yield (ILH) – Donald Adamson
Invesco Perpetual Recovery 2011 (IPRT) – Ian Tanner
JPMorgan Japan Smaller Companies (JPS) – Chris Russell
Marwyn Value Investors (MVI) – Eitan Milgram
Northern Venture Trust (NVT) – Nigel Beer
Personal Assets (PNL) – Stuart Paul
Scottish American (SCAM) – Rachel Lomax
Shires Smaller Companies (SHD) – Henry Cathcart, Dinah Nichols
SR Europe (SR.) – David Boyle
Standard Life European Private Equity (SEP) – Peter McKellar, Scott Dobbie CBE
Witan (WTAN) – Andrew Bell (manager)