30 September 2014
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Artisan Partners announced today that decision making authority on its Growth team has transitioned completely to lead portfolio managers James D. Hamel, Matthew H. Kamm and Craigh A. Cepukenas. Andrew C. Stephens will remain an active member of the team as a Managing Director, but will not have portfolio management responsibility on the mutual funds or client separate accounts the team manages. Jason L. White remains associate portfolio manager. The Artisan Partners Growth team manages the Artisan Global Opportunities, U.S. Mid-Cap Growth and U.S. Small-Cap Growth strategies.
Mr. Hamel and Mr. Stephens have worked together on the Growth team since 1997. The two have partnered to develop the Growth franchise at Artisan Partners, including the development of investment talent to position the team for multiple generations. As part of that process, in September 2013 the team formalized the lead portfolio manager roles of Mr. Hamel, Mr. Kamm and Mr. Cepukenas. The formalization of those roles created the foundation for the further transition announced today. The team will continue to work in a highly-collaborative manner and each of the strategies will be managed according to the same investment philosophy and process the team has employed since inception.
In reference to his role Mr. Stephens said, ‘‘For years we’ve worked hard to develop our investment talent. The team is executing well, the leadership has broadened meaningfully, and our clients are getting the full benefit of our global research. Given this depth, now is the right time for me to take a less hands-on role, yet still serve as a dedicated resource to the team.’’
Mr. Hamel added, ‘‘Andy is an incredible investor and mentor. He has been critical to the implementation of our investment approach. Since the inception of our flagship strategy, U.S. Mid-Cap Growth in 1997, our team has added meaningful value for clients through the identification of the emerging profit cycles we like to invest in. We are poised to continue successfully implementing our approach well into the future. We are highly confident in our execution as a team and the continuity we have among the portfolio management leads. We are excited to continue to benefit from Andy’s perspectives and have him engaged with the team as we grow.’’
