Investment manager Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) has launched a global technology equity team, with Jeremy Gleeson joining from AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) at the end of August to lead the new capability with the title of CIO of global technology equity, and reporting to Virginie Maisonneuve, global CIO of equity.

The new capability aims to strengthen AllianzGI’s in-house expertise in a sector that is expected to remain a key driver for equity markets and a significant part of client portfolios as mega trends like artificial intelligence and “digital Darwinism” continue to disrupt the business landscape.

The team will provide a key input into strategies exposed to the technology sector and complement, the company says, its “significant existing on-the-ground technology expertise, comprising ecosystems in both Europe and Asia, providing a holistic view of the global investment opportunities for clients that technology presents”.

Based in London, Gleeson joins the company with close to 30 years of industry experience, having most recently been the lead portfolio manager (PM) of AXA IM’s Global Technology Fund. He was also the lead PM on the AXA Digital Economy Fund since its inception in 2017 and co-lead on AXA’s Robotech strategy from 2015 to 2023.

Alongside Gleeson, Sunil George, currently a senior US technology analyst at AllianzGI, will join the team, with an additional new hire expected to be added in the autumn. George joined the company in May 2023 with over 20 years of experience, having previously held positions at Nordea, Fidelity and Morgan Stanley, all with a focus on the technology space. 

And, in order to make the new team’s specific expertise available to the company’s clients, Gleeson and George will take over the portfolio management of the Allianz Global Hi-Tech Growth strategy from October 2024.

“Our ambition is to establish AllianzGI as a global powerhouse in technology investing,” Maisonneuve adds. “Appointing someone of Gleeson’s calibre and establishing global technology as a new pillar on our equity platform helps accelerate us towards that goal, significantly strengthening our expertise in a sector that we expect to remain a key driver of global markets and a source of performance for our portfolios.”