Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) has today announced the hire of Sam Kulahan. Sam will become a senior member of LGIM’s 13 person Manager Research Group, responsible for manager research covering liquid and illiquid assets. He will sit within LGIM’s Asset Allocation team, as well as working closely with LGIM’s Solutions Group.
Sam brings a wealth of experience and expertise from his time with Morningstar’s manager research team and will be integral to helping LGIM choose best-in-class external managers to include in bespoke client portfolios. His research will support LGIM’s core model portfolios and tailored solutions for our Retail Model Portfolio Service (MPS) partners, as well as institutional clients holding external managers in portfolios managed by LGIM.
LGIM launched its MPS proposition in June 2021, with a range of growth and income model portfolios aimed at investors looking to grow their investments and help them to potentially meet their long-term goals. At the heart of this discretionary investment service is a selection of model portfolios, designed using both LGIM and external manager funds. The portfolios were launched on the back of client demand, aiming to meet the needs of a wide range of investors and are competitively priced.
Prior to joining LGIM, Sam spent over four years with Morningstar as a senior manager research analyst, specialising in fixed income strategies. He has also spent three years as a consultant at Deloitte and four years at General Electric, participating in its financial management program and working as a financial analyst for its defined-benefit pension plans. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Bournemouth University and a master’s degree in finance from the University of St Andrews. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
Commenting on the appointment, Emiel van den Heiligenberg Head of Asset Allocation at LGIM, said:“We are delighted to have Sam on board. He bolsters what is already a strong and very experienced Asset Allocation team of researchers and fund managers. He will be an integral member of our Manager Research Group, bringing unique insight and perspective to manager selection from his time at Morningstar .”
James Crossley, Head of UK Wholesale at LGIM added: “Although in relatively early stages of growth, we have seen the real potential of our MPS proposition through new mandates and partnerships, with more to come in 2024. I am confident that Sam’s appointment will only strengthen our client proposition when it comes to external manager research. He will help us ensure the best possible diversification across our MPS portfolios, aiming to meet evolving client demands and the desired asset class mix of our tailored solutions in particular.”
With over 35 years’ experience of multi-asset investing, LGIM’s Asset Allocation team made up of 40 economists, strategists and fund managers look after more than £77 billion in Assets Under Management[1]. The team constantly monitor market cycles and the mix of their portfolios, combining robust risk mitigation strategies and active asset allocation to manage investments during times of market stress. LGIM’s scale and in-house expertise enables us to keep our funds simple, cost-effective and always focused on improving client outcomes.
