FIM Partners today announced it has entered into an agreement with Loomis, Sayles & Company, to acquire the Global Emerging Market Equities (GEM) investment team.

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Overview of the GEM Team and FIM

Led by Ashish Chugh, Portfolio Manager and Head of Global Emerging Market Equities, the GEM Team follows a high conviction investment philosophy anchored in deep, fundamental research and a private equity-style approach to diligence and ownership. The team invests in high quality companies and those transitioning toward higher quality, leveraging its proprietary insights to identify long-term value creation opportunities across emerging markets. With an active, bottom-up, benchmark-agnostic strategy, the team builds high-conviction, concentrated, quality-focused portfolios that reflect a true ownership mindset.

Founded in 2008, FIM Partners is a leading asset manager focused exclusively on emerging and frontier markets, managing over $4.3 billion of assets on behalf of institutional clients from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. FIM’s deep regional expertise, local presence, and disciplined investment process have made it a trusted partner for global institutions seeking sustainable, long-term exposure to dynamic growth markets.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ashish, and the entire GEM team to FIM Partners,” said Hedi Ben Mlouka, Chief Executive Officer of FIM Partners. “Their disciplined, research-intensive, and long-term investment approach aligns perfectly with our philosophy and our clients’ demand for differentiated access to emerging markets. This expansion marks a significant milestone and reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional active management across the EM spectrum.”

“Since joining Loomis Sayles, Ashish and his team have delivered a truly differentiated strategy, achieving strong long-term performance and risk-adjusted returns,” said Kevin Charleston, Chief Executive Officer of Loomis Sayles. “FIM Partners’ exclusive focus on Emerging Markets investing and its complementary private equity platform make it an ideal home for the GEM team as they enter their next phase of growth.”

“We are deeply grateful to our clients and colleagues at Loomis Sayles for their trust and partnership over the years,” said Ashish Chugh, incoming Chief Investment Officer of EM Equities at FIM Partners. “Joining FIM represents a natural evolution for our franchise — one that allows us to focus even more sharply on delivering long-term value for clients through our differentiated, private-equity approach to emerging markets investing.”

Transitionary Measures for Clients

FIM Partners and Loomis Sayles are working collaboratively to facilitate the transfer of client accounts and funds managed by GEM to FIM Partners, including, subject to regulatory approval, the Luxembourg-domiciled UCITS fund. Natixis Investment Managers will continue to distribute the funds until the transition is complete, and detailed information regarding fund transfers will be communicated to investors in due course.

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in 2026, subject to necessary regulatory approvals. During the interim period, FIM Partners, Loomis Sayles and the GEM team remain committed to ensuring a seamless transition for clients and stakeholders. The GEM team will continue to operate within Loomis Sayles with the firm’s full support throughout this process.

ABOUT FIM PARTNERS

Founded in 2008, FIM Partners is a specialist asset manager focused exclusively on emerging and frontier markets, managing $4.3 billion* across equities, fixed income, and private markets. FIM Partners serves institutional investors globally through disciplined, research-driven strategies designed to capture long-term, sustainable returns. FIM Partners is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority and registered as an investment advisor with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission, and is a signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investing.

*Includes the assets of FIM Partners’ subsidiaries.

ABOUT LOOMIS SAYLES

Since 1926, Loomis, Sayles & Company has helped fulfill the investment needs of institutional and mutual fund clients worldwide. The firm’s performance-driven investors integrate deep proprietary research and risk analysis to make informed, judicious decisions. Teams of portfolio managers, strategists, research analysts and traders collaborate to assess market sectors and identify investment opportunities wherever they may lie, within traditional asset classes or among a range of alternative investments. Loomis Sayles has the resources, foresight and the flexibility to look far and wide for value in broad and narrow markets in its commitment to deliver attractive, risk-adjusted returns for clients. This rich tradition has earned Loomis Sayles the trust and respect of clients worldwide, for whom it manages $425.4 billion* in assets (as of 30 September 2025).

*Includes the assets of both Loomis, Sayles & Co., LP, and Loomis Sayles Trust Company, LLC. ($52.0 billion for the Loomis Sayles Trust Company). Loomis Sayles Trust Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.

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