About the Advisor

Based in Bryn Mawr, PA (a suburb about 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia), Dakota Investments, LLC is a registered investment advisor under the Securities Act of 1940 and is the Advisor to the Hardman Johnston International Growth Fund.

Dakota Investments was founded in 2017 and launched its first mutual fund on February 14, 2018.

Hardman Johnston, the Sub-Advisor to the Hardman Johnston International Growth Fund, is an independent, global equity boutique investing in high-quality growth companies at value prices. Based in Stamford, Connecticut, the firm manages approximately $6.7 billion in assets (as of 6/30/2024) on behalf of corporate and public pension plans, Taft-Hartley plans, endowments and foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm is 100% owned by active employees and Cassandra A. Hardman is the majority shareholder.

GUI COSTIN

Founding Partner

Mr. Costin has more than 20 years of experience working with asset management firms. As the founder of Dakota Investments, Mr. Costin set its strategy and focus. He maintains key relationships across the spectrum of investors within the United States. In 2006, Mr. Costin co-founded Penn Square Real Estate Group, the predecessor company to Dakota […]

DAN DIDOMENICO

President and Chief Compliance Officer

Mr. DiDomenico brings over 19 years of industry experience to the firm and is responsible for managing the firm’s day to day operations including product development and growth initiatives. His responsibilities also include the effective identification, measurement, control and management of compliance risk. In addition, Mr. DiDomenico is also responsible for the development, implementation, review […]

Why Hardman Johnston International Growth Fund

HIGH CONVICTION

Portfolio holdings will be concentrated in securities that Hardman Johnston believes offer the optimal opportunity for capital appreciation. When selected for inclusion, a stock enters a concentrated portfolio, ranging from 20 to 30 positions with a typical holding period of 3 to 5 years. Portfolio construction applies diversification constraints to manage concentration risk within industries, countries, and single securities. We believe the outcome is a best ideas, risk aware, high conviction portfolio that seeks low turnover and high active share.

FUNDAMENTAL APPROACH

The investment team at Hardman Johnston believes that stock selection is the key to investment performance. The Fund will employ a disciplined, bottom-up approach, based on fundamental research, investing in high quality companies with secular growth prospects when they are trading at an attractive relative valuation. It will search for companies with leading positions in their business segments that can be expanded, either locally or worldwide.

TEAM

Hardman Johnston is a boutique investment management firm with a global sector approach and deeply ingrained belief that a focused, long-term investment outlook is essential. The firm’s tight-knit team and investment culture that is client-centered, performance-driven and team-oriented contribute to the effectiveness of the investment process.

The Fund’s investment approach is designed to take advantage of today’s vast information resources, as well as the fundamental judgment of experienced investment professionals. For over three decades, the firm has followed a focused and disciplined investment process that aims to result in concentrated, high conviction portfolios with low turnover and high active share.