George Heber Joseph joins Blackstone–backed ASK Investment Managers as CIO and CEO (Equity)

ASK Investment Managers today announced the appointment of George Heber Joseph as Chief Investment Officer and Chief Executive Officer (Equity). This appointment underscores ASK’s intent to deepen its equity expertise, accelerate product innovation, and expand into new segments, including mutual funds and quant-driven strategies.

George brings over two decades of experience in equity and capital markets. He joins ASK from Jio BlackRock Asset Management, where he was designated as the Chief Investment Officer and played a pivotal role in setting up the Jio BlackRock JV in India. Previously, he led investment and business strategy at ITI Mutual Fund. George’s longest stint was with ICICI Prudential AMC, where he had spent more than a decade and was responsible for more than $2bn of equity assets, according to a press release.

Also Read | Nifty up by 10% from April low. What should mutual fund investors do?

Joseph has managed two flagship funds. He also led the discretionary PMS division, where he managed small-cap/Pipe investment approaches with top-quartile performance and exits to investors. He has also worked with DSP Merrill Lynch, Wipro, Metlife India, Cholamandalam Investment & Finance. He is widely known for his stock-picking approach, long-term value orientation, and for successfully scaling asset management platforms. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Cost & Management Accountant.

George will spearhead and drive the strategy and execution of the investment framework and performance management, operational excellence through products and sales strategy for ASK’s Equity business - PMS, AIFs, including Offshore funds and soon-to-be-launched mutual fund (for which ASK has received in-principle SEBI approval). He will play a pivotal role in ASK’s transformational growth journey, data-driven decision making, investment outcomes and product innovations.

Sunil Rohokale, Co-Founder, CEO & MD, ASK Asset & Wealth Management Group, commented, “We are delighted to welcome George to the ASK family at this crucial moment in our transformational journey. George's great stock picking skills and fund management capabilities, successful experience in setting up the process-driven investment management framework, experience of managing money across platforms, PMS/AIF/Mutual Fund will be highly advantageous to ASK. His proven expertise in setting up and scaling investment platforms aligns with ASK’s ambition to be a full-stack asset management firm. As we prepare to enter the mutual fund industry and deepen our equity leadership, George’s strategic clarity will be pivotal in building robust investment options for our clients. His belief in fundamentals-driven investing fits perfectly with ASK’s core values.”

Also Read | 13 equity mutual funds multiplied investors’ SIP wealth by over 1.8 times in 5 years

“I’m thrilled to be a part of ASK’s next phase of growth as we broaden our equity platform and foray into mutual funds. ASK’s strong foundation in high-conviction investing and client-first ethos aligns well with my belief in disciplined, fundamentals-driven strategies. I look forward to working closely with our talented team to expand our proposition by integrating data-driven and quantitative frameworks to enhance decision-making and deliver superior investment outcomes,” said George Heber Joseph, CIO and CEO (Equity), ASK Investment Managers.

“I strongly believe we at ASK are uniquely positioned to capture the immense growth opportunities in the Indian market, supported by our robust infrastructure, exceptional team and deep-rooted values. ASK’s long-term approach, group strength, core values and growth prospects of PMS, AIF and Mutual fund platform are unique, and I am excited to be on board and part of the great team that will take the business on an exponential growth path,” he added.

With George at the helm of its equity platform, ASK is poised to further strengthen its position as a trusted partner for HNI and UHNI investors, while expanding its reach to affluent and institutional clients through new formats and channels. In addition to traditional products, ASK will also explore quantitative strategies and multi-asset class products, aimed at delivering consistent alpha and improved risk adjusted returns across market cycles. This reflects the firm’s forward-looking stance and commitment to innovation.

ASK Investment Managers is a leading asset and wealth management firm backed by Blackstone.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)