Jean-Marie Eveillard (born 1940) is a French international investor who currently serves as the senior investment adviser to First Eagle Funds.[1] Eveillard, who served more than a quarter century as a portfolio manager, was co-honored in 2001 by Morningstar, Inc. as "Stock Manager of the Year" and was a finalist for their 2009 "fund manager of the decade award for non-U.S. stocks". In 2003, the group gave him a "Fund Manager Lifetime Achievement" award.
Eveillard was born in Poitiers in 1940 and attended the École des Hautes Études Commerciales before entering the world of finance in 1962 with a position at the Société Générale.[2] In 1970, two years after he relocated to the United States, Eveillard took a position with SoGen International Fund as an analyst, becoming portfolio manager of the SoGen International Fund (as of 2000, First Eagle Global) in 1978 or 1979.[3] [2] [4] [5] He remained in the position, managing the First Eagle Global, Overseas, Gold, and U.S. Value Funds, until December 31, 2004,[6] during which time he had become — according to Fortune magazine — "one of Wall Street's best value investors".[5] In 2001, Eveillard was honored as Morningstar's International's "Stock Manager of the Year. In 2003, Morningstar bestowed on Eveillard a "Fund Manager Lifetime Achievement Award", created to recognize "mutual fund managers who throughout their careers have delivered outstanding long-term performance, aligned their interests with shareholders, demonstrated the courage to differ from consensus, and shown the ability to adapt to changes in the industry."[7]
Eveillard transitioned to the role of Senior Adviser to First Eagle Funds in March 2009, a position he also held from January 2005 to March 2007. In 2009, Eveillard was a finalist for the Morningstar "fund manager of the decade award for non-U.S. stocks."
In addition to his role as senior adviser, Eveillard continues to be a member of First Eagle Funds' Board of Trustees and a Senior Vice President of First Eagle Investment Management, LLC.[8] Eveillard is the William von Mueffling Professor of Professional Practice in the Finance and Economics division of Columbia Business School.[9]