Champlain is expanding by sticking to what it knows best. That shone through in the 2023 launch of the Champlain Strategic Focus fund, which invests in the firm’s best picks among mid-cap companies and gives them room to grow into large-cap stocks. This is a natural extension of Champlain’s specialization in US small- and mid-cap growth strategies, which account for nearly all its USD 17 billion in assets under management. Both strategies have long been closed to new investors, which limits growth prospects for Champlain but showcases discipline around capacity management.
Meanwhile, firm founders Judy O'Connell and Scott Brayman nurture a strong investors-first culture through a thoughtful, multiyear transition to the next generation of leadership. As founding partners have retired, Champlain has proactively shored up investment expertise by promoting in-house talent and recruiting midcareer analysts. For instance, firm veterans Corey Bronner and Joseph Caligiuri became joint deputy CIOs in 2022 and now have bigger voices in decisions, though Brayman still leads the investment committee. The firm remains employee-owned and is transferring equity ownership from retired founders to key team members, which should promote stability and retention.
United States