MutualFundWire.com: 39. Ken Anderson

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Friday, November 20, 2009

39. Ken Anderson

Ken Anderson
President, Aston Asset Management

An accountant by training, Ken Anderson started what eventually became known as Aston Funds with Stu Bilton in 1993 and steered the fund group through three rebrandings and two ownership changes. The fund family began life as CT&T Funds, whose initial shareholders were Chicago Title & Trust Company clients who rolled their 401(k) assets into CT&T's initial three funds. The fund family rebranded as Alleghany Funds in 1996, was sold to ABN-AMRO in 2000 and became ABN-AMRO Funds, and in 2006 was acquired by Highbury Financial -- a holding company made up of executives from investment bank Berkshire Capital -- and was rechristened Aston Funds. As of end August, Aston had $5.6 billion of AUM across its lineup of 24 no-load, sub-advised mutual funds.

Anderson is part of Aston’s three-person management committee and a member of of the investment committee overseeing the selection and monitoring of sub-advisers.

In August, he and Bilton, who serves as Aston’s CEO, sold the remainder of their minority stake in Aston to Highbury in exchange for Highbury shares. They also won two of the newly created seats on Highbury’s board. The sale of their Aston stake and their appointment to Highbury’s board comes amid a dramatic chapter for Highbury, which is trying to fend off moves by dissident shareholders including Peerless Systems’ Tim Brog. A special committee was formed in August to explore strategic alternatives for Highbury, whose strategy since its inception has been to grow by acquisition.

Before launching CT&T Funds, Anderson worked at Big Four accounting firm KPMG, specializing in financial services.

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