e-fundresearch.com: Mrs. Vaness Donegan, you are the fund manager of the Threadneedle China Opportunies Fund (ISIN: GB00B1PRWC80). When did you take over the responsibility of managing this fund?
Vanessa Donegan: October 2013
e-fundresearch.com: What is the current size of the fund?
Vanessa Donegan: $129.8m
e-fundresearch.com: Do you also manage other funds or mandates?
Vanessa Donegan: As Head of Asia ex Japan equities, I manage a number of funds of which: Threadneedle Asia fund, Threadneedle Greater China equities and a wide range of segregated mandates
e-fundresearch.com: What is the total amount of assets you manage currently?
Vanessa Donegan: Around 2.5bn euros
e-fundresearch.com: How long have you been in the business as a fund manager?
Vanessa Donegan: I began my career in 1981 with Grieveson Grant Stockbrokers where I progressed tomanage Far Eastern investments. I joined Allied Dunbar Asset Management in 1986,where I was responsible for the management of Far Eastern funds. Allied DunbarAsset Management became part of Threadneedle in 1994, and I have been a fund manager at Threadneedle ever since.
e-fundresearch.com: What are the main steps in your investment process and in which area is your competitive edge to add value to investors?
Vanessa Donegan: Threadneedle's distinctive investment approach is based on creative thinking, sharing of ideas and rigorous debate. Our investment process combines the macro and the micro, top down analysis and bottom up research. We are stockpickers and draw on the various ideas and discussion within our wide teams of c. 150 experienced professionals who analyse not just China but all the major economies and companies. This is what gives us a perspective advantage and allows us to identify attractive investment opportunities. We also meet with the management of over 650 companies from Asia each year. Our stock selection involves looking at the valuation, the industry, management quality and has an economic, credit and ESG overlay.
e-fundresearch.com: Which benchmark is most relevant and how should investors compare the fund vs. benchmarks or peer groups?
Vanessa Donegan: The most relevant benchmark is the MSCI China index. The peer group is the Morningstar – Offshore and International funds – China Equity which consists of 97 funds.
e-fundresearch.com: Which performance did you achieve for the fund YTD and over the past five calendar years in absolute terms and relative to relevant benchmark or other reference indices?
Vanessa Donegan: The performance as at end of 2013 was 26.1% net compared to 4.0% gross for the index and 5.9% net for the peer group (see factsheet). Therefore, the performance for 2013 was 22.1% relative to the index.The performance for 5 years to end of 2013 was 136.1% net compared to 78.4% gross for the index and 75.8% net for the peer group (see factsheet). Therefore, the performance for 5 years was 57.7% relative to the index.
e-fundresearch.com: Thank you!
All winners of the Lipper Fund Awards Austria 2014
