Key facts
- Fidelity International is looking to hire more staff to support its active ETF business growth.
- The company aims to maintain its standing as Europe's second-largest active ETF provider.
- Fidelity International currently manages $11.3 billion in active ETF assets.
- Elisa Prezzavento has been appointed as director of ETF product strategy and development.
- Active ETFs in Europe saw significant inflows in 2023 and continue to grow.
Fidelity International is prioritizing hiring new talent to accelerate the growth of its active exchange-traded fund (ETF) business, particularly in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The asset manager aims to solidify its position as Europe's second-largest active ETF provider.
Stefan Kuhn, Fidelity International's head of ETF distribution, stated that the company entered the European ETF market in 2017 and has since grown its ETF assets under management to approximately $5.9 billion. He noted that while some considered them late to the market, Fidelity has been a pioneer in the active ETF space. In 2023, Fidelity International saw its market share grow threefold, attracting $1.2 billion in new ETF money.
Active ETFs in Europe have experienced significant demand, gathering $7.4 billion in new money in 2023 and continuing to attract inflows in early 2026. The broader European ETF market also saw substantial growth, with assets increasing by over 28% to a record $1.8 trillion. Consultancy EY projects the market to grow by 15% annually over the next five years, reaching $4.5 trillion.
To bolster its product strategy and development, Fidelity International has appointed Elisa Prezzavento as director of ETF product strategy and development. Prezzavento joins from State Street Investment Management. Neil Davies, head of ETF product and capital markets for Europe and Asia-Pacific at Fidelity, highlighted the evolving ETF landscape and increasing investor demand for active investment vehicles, emphasizing Prezzavento's expertise.
As of March 31, 2026, Europe-domiciled active ETF assets reached €85.6 billion. Fidelity currently manages $11.3 billion in active ETF assets and $15.8 billion in total ETF assets across 25 products. The competitive landscape includes JPMorgan Asset Management as the market leader and BlackRock's iShares in third place. Fidelity has been actively expanding its ETF offerings, including launching two active corporate bond ETFs in January 2026.