Lipper FMI co-founders depart data group
The co-chief executives of Lipper FMI, who played a pioneering role in developing research coverage of Europe's retail funds sector, have decided to leave the data provider but have stopped short of ruling out a return to the industry.
Diana Mackay and Rodney Williams have quit the business they founded almost a decade ago. Lipper FMI was later acquired by Reuters in 2007.
Mackay told Financial News: "We have built up an excellent team at Lipper FMI who want to stay with the company. We felt the time had come to move on." Lipper FMI's managing director is Mauro Baratta. Bella Caridade-Ferreira is head of market research. Ed Moisson is head of consulting.
The group crunches data on 45,000 retail funds on a monthly basis, providing asset managers with information on trends and market intelligence. The coverage started in Europe and spread to Asia and the US as Mackay and Williams persuaded asset managers to provide reliable sales data.
Mackay and Williams started the business, originally backed by German consultant Feri, in the year 2000, drawing on their experience in the European retail fund business. Mackay was previously an expert witness during the European Parliament debates on the development of retail funds. Williams used to work for providers Fleming and Henderson.
Mackay did not rule out a non-competing comeback in due course. "But our immediate priority it to take a long sailing holiday in Antarctica, which is not exactly renowned for its fund management industry."
--write to mfoster@efinancialnews.com
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
reddit
StumbleUpon