James Foster retires but Artemis fixed income team remains strong

8 September 2021 – Artemis has announced today that James Foster, manager of Artemis Strategic Bond fund, is to retire at the end of 2021. Alex Ralph, his co-manager, is also leaving the firm.

As a result, there are a number of funds with manager changes:

Juan Valenzuela, who joined Artemis in 2019, and Rebecca Young (who will be joining Artemis in November from Janus Henderson) will take on the Strategic Bond fund.

David Ennett has become the lead manager on Artemis High Income (with the equities portion remaining under Ed Legget), while Stephen Baines will take on the bond element of Artemis Monthly Distribution, alongside existing equities manager Jacob de Tusch-Lec.

Stephen Snowden, who joined the firm in 2019, and is lead manager of Artemis Corporate Bond fund, has become the new head of fixed income.

Darius McDermott, managing director of Chelsea Financial Services, said: “James Foster has been an exceptional fixed income manager over the past couple of decades and we wish him well for his retirement.

“His leaving is obviously a shame for investors, but we hold the Edinburgh-based fixed income team of Artemis in very high regard and believe he leaves his mandates in very capable hands.

“The Artemis Strategic Bond fund will come off the Chelsea Selection, as it is being handed to a manager we are less familiar with, but the fund will have a generic ‘hold’ rating and we will revisit the rating when the team has had a chance to settle into the fund.”