Aviva Investors' Hook: 'Unexpected' Brexit suspension helped advance new property fund strategy

Q&A with manager of the £1.5bn trust

Andrew Hook, manager of the £1.5bn Aviva Investors Property trust, says although the fund's post-Brexit suspension last year was "unexpected", the opportunity to sell off non-core assets helped the vehicle adopt a new strategy.

After suspending trading in July last year alongside a raft of other open-ended UK commercial property funds in the face of accelerated client outflows after June's Brexit vote, Aviva Investors was the final major investment house to resume trading on 15 December. However, with co-manager Mike Luscombe recently stepping down from the fund as it continues to finalise a more "geographically-clustered" approach, Hook argues the additional time spent in suspension was needed to ensure the strongest portfolio repositioning possible. Here, Hook (pictured) describes the lead-up to his fund's...