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The Polar Capital Global Healthcare Team

The seven-strong specialist healthcare team, set up in 2007, is led by Gareth Powell as Head of Healthcare, manager of the Healthcare Opportunities Fund. The team’s other fund managers are James Douglas (Healthcare Blue Chip Fund and the Global Healthcare Trust, with Gareth), David Pinniger (Biotechnology Fund) and Deane Donnigan (Healthcare Discovery). The team benefits from a huge amount of industry experience, with many having previously held senior industry roles, either as a research scientist, clinical specialist, in equity sales and research, or working in academic laboratories and institutes.

Total AUM (as at 29.02.2024)

2007

Established

140

Combined years of experience

7

Team members

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Gareth Powell, CFA

Head of Healthcare
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David Pinniger, CFA

Fund Manager
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Deane Donnigan, PharmD

Fund Manager
None

James Douglas, PhD

Fund Manager
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Damiano Soardo, CFA

Investment Analyst
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Tara Raveendran, PhD

Consultant - Healthcare Research
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Brett Pollard

Investment Analyst

Gareth Powell, CFA

Gareth joined Polar Capital in 2007 to set up the Healthcare team. Prior to Polar Capital, Gareth worked at Framlington, where he began his career in investment management in 1999. Soon afterwards, he joined the Healthcare Team in 2001 and helped launch the Framlington Biotech Fund, which he managed from 2004 until his departure.

Gareth studied biochemistry at Oxford, during which time he worked at Yamanouchi, a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company (later to become Astellas). As well as this, Gareth worked for the Oxford Business School and various academic laboratories including the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology and the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research.

  • MBiochem in Biochemistry, University of Oxford
  • CFA Charterholder
  • 25 years

David Pinniger, CFA

David joined Polar Capital in August 2013 as a portfolio manager within the Healthcare team, to launch the Polar Capital Biotechnology Fund. Prior to joining Polar Capital, David was portfolio manager of the International Biotechnology Trust at SV Life Sciences.

Previously, David spent three years working at venture capital firm Abingworth as an analyst managing biotechnology investments held across the firm's venture and specialist funds, and four years at Morgan Stanley as an analyst covering the European pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sector.

  • BA (1st Class Hons) in Human Sciences, University of Oxford
  • CFA Charterholder
  • 23 years
Source & Copyright: CITYWIRE. David Pinniger has been awarded an AA rating by Citywire for his 3 year risk-adjusted performance for the period 31/01/2021 - 31/01/2024.

Deane Donnigan, PharmD

Deane joined Polar Capital in June 2013 and is the Lead Manager of the Polar Capital Healthcare Discovery Fund.

Prior to joining Polar Capital, Deane began her career at the Medical College of Georgia, before becoming a clinical specialist in Drug Information and Adult Internal Medicine with Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. After several years, she moved to the UK to join Framlington (now AXA Framlington) as an analyst for the healthcare unit trust, led by Anthony Milford. She went on to become lead portfolio manager of the Framlington Healthcare and Framlington Biotechnology funds. Deane is both a US and UK citizen.

  • Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), Clinical Pharmacy, University of Georgia in conjunction with the Medical College of Georgia
  • Board certified and licensed pharmacist, ACCP board certified pharmacotherapy specialist, IMRO qualified
  • 26 years

James Douglas, PhD

James joined Polar Capital in September 2015 and is a Fund Manager for the Healthcare team. He was appointed co-manager for the Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust in August 2019.

Prior to joining Polar Capital, James worked in equity sales specialising in global healthcare at Morgan Stanley, RBS and HSBC. James also has equity research experience garnered from his time at UBS, where he worked as an analyst in the European pharmaceutical and biotechnology team. Before moving across to the financial sector, he worked as a consultant for EvaluatePharma.

  • PhD and BSc (1st Class Hons) in Medicinal Chemistry, Newcastle University
  • ACCA diploma in financial management (DipFM)
  • 24 years
Source & Copyright: CITYWIRE. James Douglas has been awarded an A rating by Citywire for his 3 year risk-adjusted performance for the period 31/01/2021 - 31/01/2024.
FE Alpha Manager Ratings do not constitute investment advice offered by FE and should not be used as the sole basis for making any investment decision. © 2023 FE. All rights reserved.

Damiano Soardo, CFA

Damiano joined the Polar Capital Healthcare team as an investment analyst in October 2020. He started at the company in 2016 as part of the Operations team before moving to the Risk team in 2019. Prior to joining Polar Capital, he worked as a technical consultant at a fintech company. Damiano has an MSc in Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science from the University of Oxford and is a CFA charterholder.

  • MSc in Mathematics and Foundations of Computer Science, University of Oxford
  • CFA Charterholder
  • 8 years

Tara Raveendran, PhD

Tara joined Polar Capital in September 2021, as a consultant focused on independent research for the team. Prior to joining Polar Capital, she was the Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences Research at Shore Capital.

Previously Tara spent over 15 years working in equity research, specialising in European pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medtech at Lehman Brothers and Jefferies. She has also worked with a number of healthcare-focused startups through her life sciences consultancy, SSquared Consulting, most recently working with the UK government’s Vaccine Taskforce.

  • BSc in Biochemistry and PhD in Structural Biology from Imperial College, London
  • PhD
  • 17 years

Brett Pollard

Brett joined the Polar Capital Healthcare team in September 2021 and has 22 years of healthcare industry experience, 13 of which have been in healthcare investing.

After completing a PhD in Molecular Virology at the University of St. Andrews, Brett worked as a healthcare research analyst, covering stocks in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and healthcare service subsectors. In 2008, he cofounded an in vitro diagnostics business where he initially led corporate and business development before taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer.

After time spent in strategic advisory services, Brett moved back into corporate development and investor relations’ roles before joining the Polar Capital Healthcare team. His extensive industry and investment experience has allowed him to rapidly build up detailed coverage of the healthcare sector in emerging markets.

  • Studied cell and molecular biology at the University of St. Andrews; PhD in molecular virology.
  • PhD
  • 13 years

Funds managed by the Global Healthcare Team

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Biotechnology Fund

Launch date31.10.2013
AUM
7Team size

Biotechnology Fund

The Fund aims to preserve capital and achieve long-term capital appreciation by investing throughout the biotechnology ecosystem, across geographies and market capitalisations.
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Healthcare Blue Chip Fund

Launch date12.09.2014
AUM
7Team size

Healthcare Blue Chip Fund

The Fund aims to achieve long-term capital appreciation by investing in a globally diversified portfolio of healthcare companies.
i

Healthcare Discovery Fund

Launch date31.01.2020
AUM
7Team size

Healthcare Discovery Fund

The Fund aims to achieve long-term capital growth by investing in a globally diversified portfolio of healthcare companies.
i

Healthcare Opportunities Fund

Launch date30.11.2007
AUM
7Team size

Healthcare Opportunities Fund

The Fund aims to preserve capital and achieve long-term growth by investing in a globally-diversified portfolio of companies within the healthcare industry.
i

Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust plc

Launch date15.06.2010
AUM
7Team size

Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust plc

The Company’s investment objective is to generate capital growth by investing in a global portfolio of healthcare stocks.