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Meet the Team

Allianz Technology Trust is managed from San Francisco. The team benefits from its proximity to Silicon Valley, where many of the world’s key tech companies are headquartered.
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Meet the Managers

Meet the Allianz Global Investors Team

Meet the Board

Meet the Managers

The team is headquartered in San Francisco, at the hub of the technology industry's network of academics, engineers and venture capitalists, and in close proximity to Silicon Valley.*

Michael A. Seidenberg

Lead Portfolio Manager

Years of industry experience: 23; Years with firm: 15

Michael Seidenberg is a senior portfolio manager for the global technology strategies and an equity analyst on the fundamental thematic team at Voya Investment Management. He joined the firm following Voya’s integration of certain assets and teams comprising the substantial majority of Allianz Global Investors U.S. business, where he was a portfolio manager, analyst and director on the U.S. global technology team. Prior to that, he worked at a number of hedge funds, including Pequot Capital, Andor Capital and Citadel Investment Group. He also worked in the software industry and at Oracle Corporation. Michael earned a BS in business administration from the University of Colorado and an MBA with concentrations in finance and accounting from Columbia Business School.

Erik Swords

Portfolio Manager

Years of industry experience: 24; Years with firm: 2

Erik Swords is a head of global technology strategies on the fundamental thematic team at Voya Investment Management. He joined the firm following Voya’s integration of certain assets and teams comprising the substantial majority of Allianz Global Investors U.S. business, where he was a lead portfolio manager, managing director and led the U.S. global technology team. Prior to that, he worked at Newton Investment Management for 16 years, leading one of BNY Mellon’s largest technology strategies, along with several other thematic portfolios focused on technology and related sectors. Previously, he worked as a research analyst covering the software sector at Pilgrim Baxter Associates, Exis Capital Management and Credit Suisse First Boston Technology Group. Erik earned a BS in finance from Lehigh University.

Danny Su

Equity Analyst

Years of industry experience: 25; Years with firm: 24

Danny Su is a senior equity analyst on the fundamental thematic team at Voya Investment Management. He joined the firm following Voya’s integration of certain assets and teams comprising the substantial majority of Allianz Global Investors U.S. business, where he was a portfolio manager, analyst and director with global responsibilities for the hardware, semiconductor, semiconductor capital equipment and contract-manufacturer sectors. Prior to that, Danny was an associate analyst at ABN Amro, covering the internet-infrastructure software and marketing research sectors. Previously, he was a business analyst with McKinsey & Company in Hong Kong. Danny earned a dual BS in electrical engineering and economics from MIT and a master’s degree in management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Justin Sumner, CFA

Equity Analyst

Years of industry experience: 27; Years with firm: 2

Justin Sumner is a senior portfolio manager on the global technology strategies and an equity analyst on the fundamental thematic team at Voya Investment Management. He joined the firm following Voya’s integration of certain assets and teams comprising the substantial majority of Allianz Global Investors U.S. business, where he was a senior portfolio manager and director on the U.S. global technology team. Prior to that, Justin worked at Newton Investment Management for 15 years, developing, launching and managing thematic investments focused on technology. Previously, he worked as an equity analyst covering technology and related sectors at several asset management shops, including Sentinel, AmSouth and American Century. Justin earned a BS in economics from the University of Kansas. He is a CFA® Charterholder.

John J. Coyle, Jr.

Equity Analyst

Years of industry experience: 17; Years with firm: 8

John Coyle is a portfolio manager and an equity analyst on the fundamental thematic team at Voya Investment Management. He joined the firm following Voya’s integration of certain assets and teams comprising the substantial majority of Allianz Global Investors U.S. business, where he was a portfolio manager and director with research responsibilities for the U.S. small-mid cap and global space team covering a wide array of companies across technology, consumer, and cyclical sectors. Prior to that, John was a vice president and research associate at Barclays and Lehman Brothers covering the U.S. building products and homebuilding sectors. John earned a BBA in finance, cum laude from Louisiana State University.

* From 25 July 2022, discretionary portfolio management services formerly provided to Allianz Technology Trust PLC (the “Company”) by Allianz Global Investors (“AllianzGI”) have been delegated to Voya Investment Management Co. LLC (“Voya IM”). All members of the former AllianzGI Global Technology Team transferred to Voya IM and continue to manage the Company’s portfolio. It is anticipated that there will be no change to the investment process. AllianzGI will remain the Company’s AIFM (Alternative Investment Fund Manager), providing company secretarial, administration and sales and marketing services.

Meet the Allianz Global Investors Team

Stephanie Carbonneil

Managing Director, Head of Investment Trusts

Meet the Board

Tim Scholefield

Chairman of the Board and Nomination Committee. Member of the Audit & Risk Committee, the Remuneration Committee and Management Engagement Committee

Tim joined the Board on 1 December 2021 and was appointed Chairman on 26 April 2023. He is a non-executive Director of CT UK Capital and Income Investment Trust PLC, abrdn UK Smaller Growth Companies plc and Jupiter Unit Trust Managers Ltd. He is also Chairman of Invesco Bond Income Plus Limited. He has over thirty years’ experience in investment management and was, until 2014, Head of Equities at Baring Asset Management. Prior to Baring, he was Head of International Equities at Scottish Widow Investment Partnership Limited.

Neeta Patel CBE

Chairman of the Management Engagement Committee and Senior Independent Director. Member of the Audit & Risk Committee, the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee.

Neeta Joined the Board on 1 September 2019. She is a non-executive director of Albion Venture Capital Trust plc and European Opportunities Trust plc. She is also a board adviser at several technology startups. She was previously CEO at the Centre for Entrepreneurs and an entrepreneur mentor-in-residence at London Business School, a board adviser at Tech London Advocates and a member of the advisory board at City University Ventures.

Elisabeth Scott

Member of the Audit & Risk Committee, the Nomination Committee, the Remuneration Committee and the Management Engagement Committee

Elisabeth joined the Board on 1 February 2015. She is Chair of the Association of Investment Companies, Chair of India Capital Growth Fund plc and a non-executive director of JPMorgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust plc, and has been a non-executive director of investment companies since 2011. Elisabeth worked in the Hong Kong asset management industry from 1992 until 2008 , latterly as managing director and country head of Schroder Investment Management (Hong Kong) Ltd , and she chaired the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association between 2005 and 2007.

Katya Thomson

Chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee. Member of the Nomination Committee and the Management Engagement Committee.

Katya joined the Board on 18 July 2022 and has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance, strategy and business development in both executive and non-executive roles. She has held senior positions in corporate finance at Lazard, ABN Amro and Thomas Cook. Over the past seven years, Katya has developed in-depth expertise in the UK closed-ended funds sector, serving on four investment trust boards, including Henderson EuroTrust plc, where she played a key role in facilitating a successful merger.

Currently, Katya is a non-executive director and chairman of the audit and risk committee at AVI Japan Opportunity Trust plc. Katya is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the ICAEW.

Simon (Sam) Davis

Member of the Audit & Risk Committee, the Nomination Committee, the Remuneration Committee and the Management Engagement Committee

Sam joined the Board on 1 January 2024. He is a non-executive director of The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust PLC. Sam studied Japanese at Oxford before joining Morgan Grenfell & Co. Ltd, working initially in corporate finance in both London and Tokyo. He moved to Morgan Grenfell Asset Management in 1996 to work with a Tokyo-based team. In 2000 he joined Putnam Investments first in Boston, MA and then in London where, over his 19-year tenure, he managed Asian, European and broad international equity portfolios. As Putnam’s Co-Head of Equities, he oversaw a global investment team and was CEO of Putnam Investments Ltd, the group’s UK regulated entity.

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    Competition among technology companies may result in aggressive pricing of their products and services, which may affect the profitability of the companies in which the Trust invests. In addition, because of the rapid pace of technological development, products or services developed by these companies may become rapidly obsolete or have relatively short product cycles. This may have the effect of making the Trust’s returns more volatile than the returns of a fund that does not invest in similarly related companies. Investment trusts can enhance returns through gearing. This can boost a Trust’s returns when investments perform well, though losses can be magnified when investments lose value. This Trust does not currently employ gearing. Derivatives can be used to manage the Trust efficiently.

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