South African boutique asset manager Mergence Investment Managers has made several appointments, gearing up for further growth.

Bradley Preston, formerly Head: Listed Investments, and new joiner Yoza Jekwa have been appointed as Joint Managing Directors of Mergence Investment Managers.

Preston has 14 years’ experience in the asset management industry. He joined Mergence Investment Managers in 2005 as part of the absolute return team. He has managed both multi-asset-class and equity mandates and has served as a member of the Executive Committee of Mergence Investment Managers.

Jekwa has 15 years’ investment banking experience as originator and structurer of acquisition financing/investments for mid to large cap corporates in South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, as a dealmaker within Rand Merchant Bank and as a Principle in Acquisition and Leverage Finance at Nedbank.

Fabian de Beer, Director: Investments, will resume his role as Deputy MD.

Peter Takaendesa has been promoted to Head: Equities, and Dirk Steyn to Head: Multi-Asset-Class.

Masimo-a-badimo Magerman, founder of Mergence and formerly MD of both Mergence Investment Managers and Mergence Africa Holdings, will concentrate his focus as Group MD on further strategic growth at the group level where recent acquisitions have seen Mergence diversify into the industrial manufacturing and fintech sectors.

Mergence Investment Managers remains the group’s core subsidiary and continues to grow its largely institutional client base throughout SA and SADC through its listed and unlisted investment capability across specialist equity, multi-asset class, debt, credit and private equity funds.

With some R39bn in assets under management, the Group spans asset management, derivatives trading, property, commodity finance, and more recently industrial holdings and fintech.

Mergence Investment Managers was a pioneer in impact and ESG investing, and is making a name for itself as an activist shareholder, through seeking ways to unlock value for shareholders at various companies.

The company has also been at the forefront of shareholder engagement on climate change risk at JSE listed companies.