An interview with Simon Gergel, Chief Investment Officer, UK Equities, Allianz Global Investors

25 Mar 2026
The Investor Relations Society
IR Society News
Ahead of The Investor Relations Society Annual Conference 2026, we sat down with one of our panellists, Simon Gergel, to find out a bit more about him and his thoughts on the upcoming event. Simon will be joining Plenary 2 - Insights from the Buy-side.

Tell us a bit about you and your role

I head up the UK equity team at Allianz Global Investors.  I have been investing in UK listed companies for over 38 years.  I am a value investor, so I seek to identify companies trading well below their intrinsic value, and most of the funds I am responsible for have an income requirement too.

Why do you think the theme of ‘IR as a Trusted Advisor’ is so important this year?

The IR function provides an invaluable service of keeping financial markets informed about what is going on within companies.  The requirements of professional and retail investors are constantly evolving.  IR teams need to tailor information flows, to provide the best understanding of the business, subject to the constraints of regulatory disclosure and taking into account competitive considerations.  With geopolitical circumstances changing so rapidly this year, having a trusted relationship with investors is more important than ever.

What insights will you be bringing to your panel?

I bring 38 years’ experience of investing in UK listed companies, reading company reports, presentations and other materials, meeting and questioning management teams and investor relations professionals.  I have also been involved In many shareholder engagements, discussing topics including capital allocation, sustainability, board structure, remuneration and M&A.