City of London Investment Management Company Limited (CoL) was founded in 1991 by Barry Olliff, the current CIO. The company was formed out of the London-based operations of Olliff & Partners PLC (O&P) that had been founded by Mr. Olliff in 1987. O&P was an agency stockbroker and corporate finance boutique specializing in the U.K. investment trust sector. As part of the brokerage research effort, the firm identified significant pricing inefficiencies particularly in those funds giving emerging markets exposure.
Barry determined the most appropriate way to capitalize on these inefficiencies was from an investment management standpoint and launched City of London Investment Management in 1991. The first active emerging markets product, The Emerging Markets Country Trust, was launched in September 1991.
In 1994, building on the success of the U.K. business, CoL launched a U.S. institutional product for tax-exempt investors, the Emerging Markets Country Fund. The firm registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in April of 1994. A Canadian marketing presence was also established that year. Over the following six years, further institutional funds for North American clients were launched as emerging markets benchmarks developed.
CoL now operates from four centers, London, Philadelphia (established 1997), Singapore (established 2000) and Dubai (established 2007), managing assets primarily for institutional investors.
The Natural Resources strategy evolved as a result of CoL’s involvement in emerging markets, which dates to the firm’s inception in 1991. In 2002 and 2003 CoL’s investment team started to delve deeper into the stages of country development from "developing" to "developed", especially China and India, and the implications thereof, namely, the rise in the consumption of natural resources. Consequently, based on research in this arena and the existing in-house expertise in the management of equities, CoL’s investment team decided to capitalize on the growing demand for natural resources. The Natural Resource Fund was launched on April 1, 2004, managing assets for U.S. tax-exempt clients.
Barry determined the most appropriate way to capitalize on these inefficiencies was from an investment management standpoint and launched City of London Investment Management in 1991. The first active emerging markets product, The Emerging Markets Country Trust, was launched in September 1991.
In 1994, building on the success of the U.K. business, CoL launched a U.S. institutional product for tax-exempt investors, the Emerging Markets Country Fund. The firm registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in April of 1994. A Canadian marketing presence was also established that year. Over the following six years, further institutional funds for North American clients were launched as emerging markets benchmarks developed.
CoL now operates from four centers, London, Philadelphia (established 1997), Singapore (established 2000) and Dubai (established 2007), managing assets primarily for institutional investors.
The Natural Resources strategy evolved as a result of CoL’s involvement in emerging markets, which dates to the firm’s inception in 1991. In 2002 and 2003 CoL’s investment team started to delve deeper into the stages of country development from "developing" to "developed", especially China and India, and the implications thereof, namely, the rise in the consumption of natural resources. Consequently, based on research in this arena and the existing in-house expertise in the management of equities, CoL’s investment team decided to capitalize on the growing demand for natural resources. The Natural Resource Fund was launched on April 1, 2004, managing assets for U.S. tax-exempt clients.