Hires Christophe Vandewiele to lead charge
TORONTO, Oct. 14, 2015 /CNW/ - Excel Funds Management Inc. (the "Manager") is pleased to announce that it will be offering its emerging markets investment strategies to institutional investors.
Established in 1998, Excel Funds is a Canadian leader in emerging market-focused mutual funds, offering a wide-range of innovative mutual funds to retail investors. Its entry into the institutional space is driven by increasing institutional interest in emerging markets, which have become the fastest growing category of global investing.
"The seismic shift in the global economy, engendered by the dramatic rise of emerging markets, has opened new windows of opportunity for institutional investors seeking to capitalize on new growth opportunities," says Bhim D. Asdhir, President & CEO of Excel Funds. "We anticipate that the relative importance of emerging markets will accelerate over the next two decades given the exponential increase in their market capitalization, which is set to surpass that of developed markets," he adds.
To assist with its expansion into the institutional market, Excel Funds has retained the services of Christophe Vandewiele as Vice President, Institutional Investments. Mr. Vandewiele is a seasoned financial services professional with more than two decades of high-level experience in the institutional and retail space. Prior to founding his own consulting practice, he was Head of Institutional Sales at Dexia Asset Management in Toronto.
"I am delighted to be assisting Excel Funds with implementing its growth strategy in the institutional space. I believe emerging markets should be a core component of institutional portfolios and anticipate tremendous success in my new role," says Mr. Vandewiele.
He adds: "I am particularly impressed with Excel Funds' approach in making institutional investors aware of the opportunities in emerging markets. The company's planned due diligence trip to India in early December, where investors will obtain first-hand experience of the country's growth potential, get to visit some of the companies they invest in, and meet managers as well as key government and company officials, is a win-win for both the company and the investors who make the trip."
Excel Funds previously made a due diligence trip to India earlier this year and another to Brazil in 2011. The trip to India in March 2015 was hosted by Birla Sin Life AMC Limited, one of largest asset managers in India. Participants had the opportunity to meet with officials from a number of government agencies such as the Reserve Bank of India and the Securities Exchange Board of India, as well as representatives from more than a dozen companies, such as HCL Technologies Limited, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd., Idea Cellular, PVR Cinemas, and Bajaj Auto Limited, among others.
The Brazilian trip in 2011 was hosted by Itau Unibanco, the largest privately controlled bank in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. Participants met with various chief economists and the heads of companies such as Embraer S.A. and Vale S.A., among others.
Excel Funds maintains a competitive edge in the emerging markets investment space by leveraging the services of on-the-ground portfolio managers around the globe, who target alpha from a fundamental perspective. "As a result, we have the ability to customize emerging market allocations across the entire risk spectrum," says Asdhir. "This helps us to achieve our goal of providing superior risk-adjusted returns to our clients."
About Excel Funds Management Inc.
The Manager is a multiple Lipper Award winner specializing in emerging markets. Founded in 1998 with the launch of the Excel India Fund, the largest and longest running India-focused fund in Canada, the Manager has been a Canadian leader in emerging market-focused mutual funds by offering a wide-range of innovative investment funds that capture new growth opportunities.
Through its network of sub-advisors, the Manager has access to the knowledge base of over 500 local portfolio managers and 200 analysts around the world. Its on-the-ground sub-advisors and proprietary asset allocation model contribute to the firm being called "The Authority in Emerging Markets".
SOURCE Excel Funds Management Inc.
Image with caption: "Christophe Vandewiele, Vice President, Institutional Investments (CNW Group/Excel Funds Management Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151014_C8708_PHOTO_EN_520961.jpg
Media Contact: Caroline Grimont, Vice President, Marketing, E-mail: [email protected], Tel: 905-624-7744.
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