Natixis Investment Managers has launched Thematics Asset Management, a new Paris-based investment firm.
It joins the firm’s global line-up of investment affiliates and will provide investors with access to a wide range of high conviction and active global thematic strategies, including, Safety, Water, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, beginning in Q2, 2019.
Thematics Asset Management will be led by Karen Kharmandarian, chairman and chief investment officer (CIO), and Mohammed Amor, managing partner and head of development.
The investment team will also include Arnaud Bisschop, Frédéric Dupraz and Nolan Hoffmeyer, who joined Natixis Investment Managers in November 2018, and Simon Gottelier who joins as a senior portfolio manager on the water strategy. They also make up the management team.
Over the past 11 years, prior to joining Natixis Investment Managers, the team has launched a range of thematic funds and were involved in the management of over $21 billion of assets. The team has experience in bottom-up stock picking and its investment process will rely on investable universes and the building of portfolios based on the merits of the individual stocks, resulting in a range of portfolios that are global, unconstrained, benchmark-agnostic and socially responsible.
Jean Raby, chief executive of Natixis Investment Managers, said the addition of Thematics Asset Management “makes a substantial contribution” to the firm’s global equity range.
“The team’s strong expertise, proven track record and highly-active investment approach fit perfectly within our multi-affiliate model,” he continued.
“Natixis Investment Managers’ multi-affiliate model offers tremendous growth opportunities, and we are pleased to become an affiliate of one of the world’s leading asset managers,” added Mohammed Amor, managing partner and head of development.
The team recently launched a range of thematic strategies, which are: Safety, Water, AI& Robotics, Meta strategy, under the Luxembourg-domiciled Natixis International Funds (Lux) I SICAV. New strategies will be launched in the near future.
With 24 specialised investment managers, Natixis Investment Managers has EUR 808 billion in assets under management, as at 31 December 2018.
