BlackRock global equity manager to exit

BlackRock's Andrew Williamson-Jones, manager of the £162m global equity fund, is to leave after nine years at the company.

The head of BlackRock's global equity team, Richard Turnill, currently co-manager of the fund, has taken over from Williamson-Jones. Williamson-Jones, who has managed the fund since 2007, joined BlackRock when it was still part of Merrill Lynch back in 2003. He has already been taken off the global equity team and is set to leave the firm in September. His fund has returned 11% over five years against the IMA Global sector peer group average of 4.5%, according to Morningstar.