The asset manager has made a strategic decision to sell its quantitative equities subsidiary to a consortium of Intech management and certain non-executive directors.

Intech Investment Management, part of James Henderson Group, is to acquire the company and become a private, fully-independent entity through a management-led buyout.

The financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to close before the end of the first half of 2022, were not disclosed.

Upon completion of the deal, Intech, a specialized global quantitative equity manager based in West Palm Beach, Florida, will become 100 per cent owned by the company's founder, employees, and board members.

The transaction will allow global active asset manager Janus Henderson to focus on active, fundamental investing and Intech to focus on quantitative investing products for institutional investors, according to Dick Weil, chief executive officer of Janus Henderson.

As part of the deal, Intech will form a new board of directors chaired by Churchill Franklin, co-founder and former chief executive officer of Acadian Asset Management. Other directors will include Nobel Laureate Myron Scholes, PhD, and Larry Leibowitz, former chief operating officer of the New York Stock Exchange. 

Intech has also named Jose Marques, PhD, former head of trading at Bridgewater Associates, and current CEO of Entrypoint Capital, as CEO of Intech. He will also join the board as a director. Adrian Banner, PhD, who will transition from his role as CEO and become chief investment officer of Intech, will continue to serve on the board. Jian Tang, PhD, will be promoted to portfolio manager, focusing on enhancing Intech's investment management process.

"As a private, fully-independent company, Intech is in the best possible position to focus on portfolio management and research, improve investment outcomes for clients, and deliver long-term value to our stakeholders," Adrian Banner, PhD, CEO and CIO of Intech, said. "Dr. Marques is a proven leader and effective CEO, with more than 30 years of experience in leading thoughtful and systematic transformations. He is unquestionably the right choice to lead Intech into a bright new future.”

"Intech has a 35-year track record operating as an independently managed company, and in this new chapter Intech is well-positioned to continue its position as a leader in quantitative investing,” Weil said.

Founded in 1987, Intech invests on behalf of pension funds, governments, endowments, foundations, and other institutional investors worldwide. As of December 31, 2021, it managed $38 billion in investments, including ESG, absolute return, defensive equity, and traditional long-only strategies. 

Janus Henderson offers a broad range of investment solutions, including equities, fixed income, quantitative equities, multi-asset, and alternative asset class strategies. As at December 31, 2021, the firm had approximately $432 billion in assets under management, some 2,000 employees, and offices in 25 cities worldwide. Based in London, the company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange. In November, the company announced that it is searching for a new CEO as Dick Weil is going to retire at the end of March.