Baring Asset Management has hired emerging markets expert Jean-Louis Scandella to head up its equity teams in London and Hong Kong. He will replace Tim Scholefield who had been head of global equities since 2006.

Scandella will report to chief investment officer Marino Valensise and will be based in London. In addition to head of equities, Scandella will be a member of the investment committee and will chair the global sector teams. He will joining Barings on June 2.

“We are pleased to welcome Jean-Louis to Barings. He has a deep knowledge of equity investing, with experiences both as a business leader and as a fund manager.

"He brings with him a strong bottom up driven investment philosophy and a successful track record in managing emerging market equities achieved through a disciplined approach to ‘quality growth’, a style very similar to Barings’ GARP (growth at reasonable price),” said Valensise.

Scandella joins from French equity boutique Comgest where he was part of the firm’s leadership team. He worked at the firm for nine years.

Before that he was director of emerging markets at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking where he worked for 10 years.

Comgest runs a similar product range to Barings, with assets divided between emerging and developed equity markets.