Jeff Taylor is to retire from his role as Head of European Equities at the end of this year, after almost 20 years in the role and 23 years at Invesco. Taylor will hand over leadership responsibilities to John Surplice, his co-manager on the Invesco European Equity Fund (UK).Surplice will work alongside Jeff for the rest of the year as co-head of the team and will assume the role of Head of European Equities from 1 January 2021. The investment strategy and process across the portfolio will remain unchanged.
Taylor says: “I’m fortunate to work with very talented and experienced investors who are all focused and committed to delivering the best outcomes for our clients. In planning for a successor, it was crucial to ensure consistency in our investment philosophy and process. John shares my vision for the portfolio and team and has a deep understanding of our clients’ ambitions, as well as strong leadership qualities. I look forward to working with John and the rest of the team for the remainder of the year.”
Stephanie Butcher, Chief Investment Officer, says: “We would like to thank Jeff for his dedication to clients over the years and his role in building a team of highly talented and experienced investment professionals. He has always placed a huge amount of importance on nurturing talent and supporting career progression and his leadership has ensured that there is great strength and depth across the European Equities desk. I would like to add my personal thanks for all the support he has given me over the many years I have worked with him. John’s broad contribution to the team, his investment insights and strong relationships with clients make him a natural successor to Jeff, and I look forward to working with him in the leadership role in the future.”
Surplice has been with Invesco for 24 years, as a core member of the European Equities team and has worked with Jeff for the majority of that time. He co-manages several funds, including the Invesco European Equity Fund (UK) with Jeff as well as the Invesco Pan European Equity Fund with Martin Walker.
With Surplice taking on additional responsibilities, Invesco has also announced the appointment of James Rutland to the European Equities team. Rutland joined Invesco as a fund manager in early June and will co-manage the Invesco Pan European Focus Equity Fund and the Invesco European Opportunities Fund (UK) alongside Surplice.
Rutland joins Invesco after over five years at Schroders, where he was a key member of the European Equities team and had co-managed successful European portfolios since 2016 (Schroders ISF European Alpha Focus and Schroder ISF European Opportunities). Previous to that he had worked on the sell side and in investment banking. He brings with him a total of 12 years of industry experience as an analyst and a fund manager.
Surplice says: “I look forward to continue working with Jeff for the rest of the year and thank him for all his support during our time spent working together. The personal development of the team has always been high on his agenda and it will continue to be high on mine. I would also like to welcome James to the team, he has a thorough knowledge of European stocks which should benefit our clients and the team as it continues to strengthen its skillset and expertise.”
