Brunner is run by an independent board of directors and has no employees. Like other investment companies, it outsources investment management and administration to an investment management company – Allianz Global Investors – and other third parties to provide shareholders with an efficient, competitive and cost-effective way to gain wide equity investment exposure through a single investment vehicle.
Managed by global CIO Lucy Macdonald, the trust favours large, well-financed businesses with global reach, pricing power and brand strength.
Lucy is the Chief Investment Officer of Global Equities. The Global Equity team is responsible for international mandates from clients around the world. Lucy is a member of the European Management Committee. Lucy joined AllianzGI in 2001 from Baring Asset Management, where she was a director and senior portfolio manager. Lucy graduated from Bristol University, and is an Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals (ASIP).
The Brunner Investment Trust board is particularly experienced as its directors also sit on the boards of a number of large companies. So as well as providing shareholders with the reassurance of a diligent environment of checks and balances, they also provide the Trust with invaluable knowledge and economic insight.
Carolan Dobson joined the Board in December 2013 and has been Chairman since the AGM in March 2016. She is also Chairman of BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc and Baillie Gifford UK Growth Fund plc and a non-executive director of London CIV. She was previously head of UK equities at Abbey Asset Managers, Head of Investment Trusts at Murray Johnstone and was the portfolio manager of two investment trusts.
Joined the board in December 2019. Amanda is a non-executive director and Audit Committee Chair of Headlam Group plc and of Impact Healthcare REIT plc and is also a non-executive director on the Regulated Board of Places for People Group. She worked at KPMG LLP for 33 years until 2017 and during her career she was Head of the Retail Sector practice before becoming Head of Contract Governance in the Risk-Consulting Division. Amanda is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Joined the board in October 2010. Peter is a retired solicitor and qualified with Slaughter and May in 1977. He is a non-executive director of Edinburgh Dragon Investment Trust plc. He was Group Legal Director at Prudential plc from 1998 to 2009 and Company Secretary from July 1999. Prior to that he was with HSBC for 14 years during which time he was variously a director of HSBC Investment Bank, President and Chief Executive Officer of James Capel Inc in New York and finally Deputy Group Legal Adviser. He is a former chairman of the GC100 and was a supervisory board member of the London Business School Centre for Corporate Governance.
Joined the board in January 2014. Jim began his career in financial services with J. Henry Schroder & Co from 1992 to 2002, where he was a director, and has since held senior roles with a number of private equity backed businesses. He is chairman of In The Style Fashion, Seraphine and Rupert Sanderson Shoes and a non-executive director of James Cropper PLC and feelunique.com.
Matthew is the lead portfolio manager on the UK Opportunities strategy but works with Lucy Macdonald on the UK portion of the Brunner portfolio. Matthew joined AllianzGI in 2006 as part of the Global Graduate Program. In 2007 he joined the Research Department as a pan-European media analyst and in 2008 he moved to portfolio management as part of the UK Equity Team. Prior to joining AllianzGI, Matthew worked at Datamonitor and the Office for National Statistics. He graduated from Bristol University with a first class degree in Economics and Economic History. He also holds a masters (with distinction) in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics. Matthew holds the IMC designation and is a CFA® charterholder.
