Jupiter has appointed James Zimmerman as manager of the £60m ($92m) Jupiter UK smaller companies fund, effective June 1 2015. He will take over from Richard Curling.

Curling is to continue to manage the Jupiter fund of investment trusts and institutional assets, as well as co-manage the Jupiter Primadona Growth Trust and Jupiter monthly income fund.

“James has worked closely with Richard on the Jupiter UK smaller companies portfolio since his return," said Stephen Pearson, head of investments at Jupiter. 

"We see Zimmerman's new appointment as a natural step which recognises his talent for investment, and allows Richard to focus on the other portfolios under his management.”

Zimmerman joined Jupiter in 2011 as an equities analyst in the UK equities team, and returned to the Company in October last year, following a hiatus as a global generalist analyst at Rockefeller in New York.

He has worked with Richard Curling as assistant fund manager of the Jupiter UK smaller companies fund since his return.

Since launch in March 1999, the Jupiter UK smaller companies fund aims to obtain long-term capital growth by investment in smaller UK companies. It has returned 324.96% compared to 201.48% for its benchmark, the FTSE Small Cap Ex Inv Trusts Index, according to Jupiter.