The Portfolio Managers

Premier Fund Managers Limited

As a truly independent investment management company, Premier provides both retail and institutional investors with access to some of the most dynamic investment management skills available in the UK. Premier's strong reputation for fund management has attracted several well-known and highly regarded UK fund managers.

Through regulated subsidiaries and business partners, Premier manages a range of authorised UK and offshore funds, investment trusts and third party investment mandates and also provides bespoke discretionary portfolio management services for both retail investors, institutions and charities.

The Team

The discretionary Portfolio Management investment team at Premier was established some years ago and has steadily grown in stature with individuals joining from well-known City based investment management houses. These individuals relish the opportunity to focus on clients and exercise their investment management instincts rather than use portfolio models.

Fred Fulcher Divisional Director - Portfolio Management					Fred currently heads up the Discretionary Management Division of Premier. From 1989 through to joining Premier in 2002, Fred held the position of Senior Portfolio Manager with Govett Investment Managers, looking after a range of private client pension fund and charity portfolios, ranging in value from £250,000 to £60 million. Fred was also responsible for marketing portfolio services through the Allied Irish Bank’s branch network in Britain and First Trust Bank network in Northern Ireland.
Nigel Sidebottom Investment Director					Nigel joined Premier through the acquisition of BFS Investments in October 2005. He joined BFS in 1999 as a director from Greig Middleton, where he had been Managing Director of the Asset Management Division, having previously held the same position at Gerrard Vivian Gray. He is responsible for the overall management of Premier’s closed-end fund business as well as managing sub-portfolios within four of the trusts. Nigel is a non-executive Director of JP Morgan Fleming Elect plc and a Fellow of the Securities Institute. Nigel has been in stockbroking and fund management for over 20 years and is regarded as an expert on the investment trust sector.
Nick Kelsall Portfolio Manager					Nick has worked in the financial services industry for 9 years, joining Premier in February 2001 from Carr Sheppards Crosthwaite Ltd (now Rensburg Sheppards Plc) where he had been employed for 2 years as a Unit Trust dealer. He is currently employed within the discretionary department where his responsibilities include the day to day management of private client portfolios.
David Pendlebury Portfolio Manager				David joined the Premier discretionary team in October 2005 when Premier took over the business of BFS Investments plc. Prior to working for Premier and joining BFS Investments in March 2000, David was Associate Director at Gerrard Stockbrokers in their asset management division for just under six years. David started his career in the city in 1989, working initially for The London Stock Exchange Traded Options Market, then joining Societe Generale Strauss Turnbull on the derivatives desk of their central market making team in 1990. Following this, he worked for Wise Speke Stockbrokers in their private client advisory team, until joining Gerrards in 1994. He is a Fellow of the Securities & Investment Institute and holds the Securities & Investment Institute Diploma.
Paul Smith Senior Investment Manager				Paul manages Fixed Income securities at Premier. His current responsibilities include the management of open and closed end funds as well as managing private client portfolios. Paul obtained a 1st class BA (hons) degree in Economics and an MA in Finance and Investment (with Distinction) from Exeter university.
Raj Hallen Investment Specialist				Raj re-joined Premier in January 2008 as an Investment Specialist after a two and a half year spell with Skandia Investment Management as Deputy Chief Investment Officer. In his first period at Premier which spanned from March 2001 to April 2005, Raj was Head of Research and also co-managed the fund of funds range. Prior to that he was an Investment Director at Drummond Moores, an Investment IFA, where he managed both advisory and discretionary private client portfolios, pension and charity portfolios. Raj started his investment career at Newton Fund Managers in 1990, where he spent nearly eight years as an Investment Sales Manager. He holds both the Securities Institute Diploma and the Advanced Financial Planning Certificate.