Natalie Bell has been promoted to named manager on the £1.1bn Liontrust UK Smaller Companies and £146m Liontrust UK Micro Cap funds.
Bell has been part of Liontrust’s Economic Advantage team – which runs the funds – since August 2022 and has been supporting on the day-to-day management of the funds, building her knowledge of the holdings and contributing to investment decisions.
She joined Liontrust in 2021 as part of its Responsible Capitalism team, where she led engagement with investee companies across the full suite of the firm’s funds. Prior to joining Liontrust, Bell worked in corporate governance and policy at EY and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Anthony Cross, head of the Liontrust Economic Advantage team, said: “Since moving across into fund management, Natalie has consistently impressed us with her diligence and skill in analysing companies.
“She has quickly become an integral member of the team and her recent tenacity in leading our efforts to lobby for government support for the UK equity market has been especially notable. Natalie’s promotion to become a named manager of the UK Smaller Companies and UK Micro Cap funds is richly deserved and a natural step in her continued career progression.”
Performance of funds vs sector over 5yrs
Source: FE Analytics
Bell will continue to work on the other Economic Advantage funds with their existing named managers. Her promotion comes after a new fund manager was hired by the team.
Alexander Game joined Liontrust last month from Unicorn Asset Management where he worked for almost a decade and was a named manager on the Unicorn UK Growth fund, Unicorn UK Smaller Companies fund and the Unicorn AIM IHT and ISA portfolio service.
Cross commented: “Alex is a natural fit for our team, bringing with him a strong track record of identifying attractive long-term investment opportunities and an investment ethos that is closely aligned to the Economic Advantage process.”
Liontrust said Bell’s promotion and Game’s appointment are “very positive milestones” in the evolution of the Economic Advantage team.