Jim O’Shaughnessy exiting OSAM at end of year

The custom indexing pioneer launched O’Shaughnessy Asset Management in 2007 and has been serving as chairman, co-CIO and portfolio manager.

Jim O’Shaughnessy, the founder of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, will be retiring at the end of the year.

According to a regulatory filing Thursday, O’Shaughnessy is stepping down as of Dec. 31 and will no longer help oversee the O’Shaughnessy Market Leaders Value Fund.

O’Shaughnessy launched OSAM in 2007 and had been serving as chairman, co-CIO and portfolio manager. His son Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Scott Bartone, and Christopher Meredith will remain as the portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund.

Meredith will also become the sole CIO at the firm when Jim O’Shaughnessy steps down at the end of the year. The two men have shared the role for the past three years. Roger Paradiso, Franklin Templeton’s head of product solutions, will become executive chairman of OSAM.

OSAM was purchased by investment manager Franklin Templeton this past January for an undisclosed amount. The firm boasted assets under management of $6.4 billion at the time, including more than $2 billion in its Canvas platform, a custom indexing solution started in 2019. The Canvas platform enables financial advisers to build and manage indexes in separately managed accounts that are individually tailored to a client’s objectives.

“Jim is an eminent figure in the industry who greatly advanced the school of factor investing,” Patrick O’Shaughnessy said in a statement. “His approach to the investment process is hardwired into the OSAM culture. We are incredibly grateful for his contributions and know the investment community will continue to benefit from his all-around love of discussing life and investing through his podcast, tweets, and other personal ventures.”