Founder of Futuregrowth and RMBAM retires from industry

Alberto Bottega, deputy chairman of Futuregrowth Asset Management and a pioneer of specialist asset management, is to retire after 20 years in the financial markets. He will devote himself full time to his second passion, his wine estate in the Western Cape.

Bottega, 64, will continue to serve as a non-executive director. Managing director Paul Rackstraw will take over Bottega's role on the Futuregrowth board while director Andrew Canter, in his current role as Chairman of the Futuregrowth Investment Committee, will oversee the investment process.

The founder of the specialist asset management house, which now has R55bn under management, Bottega was also the visionary behind RMB Asset Management which he started in 1990. He was joined shortly after by co-founder Rowan Hutchison and Andrew Canter.

After his move to Cape Town in 1998, Bottega was instrumental in the development of Futuregrowth - from what was initially a socially responsible investment (SRI) product in the Southern Life portfolio - into a fully fledged asset management company. 

Rackstraw praised Bottega's contribution to Futuregrowth.

"Alberto has been a pioneer of specialist asset management in South Africa. At Futuregrowth he has taken the quantitative investing approach beyond index tracking to an active process for equity portfolio management.

"We all wish him the best for his retirement and the exciting business venture at the Da Capo vineyards and Whalehaven Wines."