The AMCS Group, a third-party distribution agency, announced in a press release that “effective immediately” it will represent the Jupiter Group, as introducer for its combined UCITS offering across both Jupiter and Merian branded funds. This follows Jupiter’s acquisition of Merian Global Investors on July 1st.
Central to the strategy will be several of Jupiter’s flagship products, including Jupiter Dynamic Bond ($16.9 billion assets under management), managed by Ariel Bezalel and Harry Richards; Jupiter European Growth ($9.2 billion AUM), managed by Mark Nichols and Mark Heslop; and the Merian Gold and Silver Fund ($945 million AUM), managed by Ned Naylor-Leyland.
“AMCS will be focusing its efforts for Jupiter exclusively in the US Offshore market, targeting global private banks, US wirehouses, regional broker dealers and independent advisory firms”, said the firm. It will be partnering closely with William Lopez, Jupiter’s Head of Latin America and US Offshore, in its effort to expand the reach of Jupiter Group funds across its targeted segments and clients.
AMCS pointed out that they were closely involved with Merian Global Investors prior to its acquisition by Jupiter. Its partners developed Merian’s footprint in the Americas region from 2013 to 2018 as employees of the Old Mutual Group. When Merian, formerly Old Mutual Global Investors’ Single Strategy business, was spun out of its UK parent in a 2018 management buyout, Andres Munho and Chris Stapleton formed the AMCS Group to serve as introducer for its UCITS funds in the Americas.
Chris Stapleton, co-founder and managing partner at the AMCS Group said that they are “delighted” to have the opportunity to partner with Lopez and the wider Jupiter team to further solidify the firm’s position in the US Offshore market. “We believe there is an opportunity to leverage some of the existing relationships and framework we have developed with Merian to fast track Jupiter’s growth in this important market segment”, he added.
Meanwhile, Andres Munho, co-founder and managing partner at the AMCS Group, commented: “We are very pleased with the breadth of high-quality investment capability our partnership with Jupiter will enable us to deliver to our clients. Jupiter’s excellence in a number of fixed income sectors, including its flagship Dynamic Bond, provide an excellent addition to what we have historically offered through Merian.”
The AMCS Group’s Miami based team focused on the Jupiter effort
Stapleton will be overseeing global key account relationships across the region, as well as advisory and private banking relationships in the Northeast; and Munho will be overseeing all advisory and private banking relationships in Florida. Meanwhile, Francisco Rubio, regional vice president at AMCS, will be responsible for the Southwest and West Coast regions of the US, as well as private banks and independent advisory firms in Miami.
The team will be supported by Alvaro Palenga, sales associate and Virginia Gabilondo, client services manager.