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A Brief Overview of Invesco Ltd.'s History
Helping People Worldwide Build Their Financial SecurityIt began with a vision of a company dedicated to serving a global market for investment management. By delivering the combined power of our distinctive worldwide investment management capabilities, including AIM, Atlantic Trust, Invesco Perpetual, PowerShares, Trimark, and WL Ross & Co., Invesco provides a comprehensive array of enduring solutions for retail, institutional and high-net-worth clients around the world. Operating in 20 countries. Invesco PLC was originally incorporated in December 1935 under the laws of England and Wales. Although several of our constituent corporate entities are significantly older, Invesco in its modern form was created by the 1997 combination of two asset management businesses: Invesco and AIM, both of which had been founded in the 1970s.  A Vision for the Future1976–1986
Envisioning a broad, international market for asset management, in 1978 Charles W. Brady and eight partners purchased the pension management department from their employer, a large southern bank. They moved to a modest Atlanta office and launched Invesco, with $400 million in assets. 
In the same spirit, Charles T. Bauer, Robert H. Graham, and Gary T. Crum left the asset management department of a major insurance company two years earlier and opened a mutual fund company. Emphasizing investment discipline, distribution and marketing, AIM quickly launched a high-yield bond fund and, by 1980, its first institutional money market fund. In 1986, AIM purchased the Weingarten, Constellation and Charter funds, which would become household names among mutual fund investors and form the core of AIM's product line. Growing Globally1987–1996Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, AIM and Invesco engaged in intense activity to grow their businesses and lay the groundwork for the future. 
AIM focused on expanding its product line and increasing assets. In 1992, the company's portfolio of funds grew with the acquisition of CIGNA Funds Group. By 1993, AIM ranked among the top 25 U.S. mutual fund managers by total assets, and in 1996, powered by strong retail fund sales, AIM's assets under management topped $60 billion. Anticipating the customer service potential of the Internet, AIM became the first mutual fund company to offer investors on-line account access.  In 1988, Invesco merged with the century-old global asset manager Britannia Arrow, achieving additional scale and gaining a London Stock Exchange listing, which dates to the early 1970s. The expanded organization included offices in virtually every major capital market from Tokyo to New York. 
Over the coming years, Invesco purchased a real estate investment group in Dallas, fixed income manager PRIMCO Capital Management in Kentucky, and businesses in Hong Kong and Canada, establishing or strengthening its retail and institutional businesses in key locations. In other strategic moves, an American Depository Receipt listing on the New York Stock Exchange on August 25, 1995, expanded Invesco's investor base in the United States. A Truly Global Fund Manager1997–1999
On February 28, 1997, Invesco and AIM merged to form AMVESCAP PLC. This combination of two dynamic firms created one of the first truly global independent retail and institutional asset managers, with $200 billion in funds under management. AMVESCAP's strategy emphasized a broad spectrum of products, outstanding investment performance, a vast global distribution network, and world-class customer service. The strategy was supported by an entrepreneurial environment that encouraged innovation and attracted talented investment management professionals. AMVESCAP increased its global scope further with the acquisition of Chancellor LGT Asset Management, a global investment manager with a 30-year history and a growing presence in key markets in Europe and Asia. Growth and Expansion with Key Acquisitions2000–2004
In 2000, AMVESCAP achieved leadership positions in key markets. The purchase of Trimark Financial Corporation in Canada and Perpetual PLC in the United Kingdom expanded AMVESCAP's product line and created one of the largest retail fund complexes in both countries. Like the original AIM and Invesco organizations, both Trimark and Perpetual were founded by visionary asset managers with reputations for investment excellence within entrepreneurial cultures. AMVESCAP continued expanding in other promising markets. The addition of County Investment Management solidified AMVESCAP's presence in Australia, expected to become the world's fourth largest pension market. And the acquisition of Grand Pacific in 2001, a top ten fund manager in Taiwan, increased our ability to participate in the local market. 2001 also marked the formation of Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management, AMVESCAP's division focused solely on serving the needs of high net worth individuals and their families, a rapidly growing segment of the asset management industry. This business began with the 2001 acquisition of Boston-based Pell Rudman, followed by the acquisition of New York-based Whitehall Asset Management in 2003 and Chicago-based Stein Roe Investment Counsel in 2004. AMVESCAP continued growing through alliances and internal growth. In September 2002, Invesco Real Estate expanded its operations into Europe with the acquisition of Parkes and Co., a London-based, pan European real estate advisor. In late 2003, the Real Estate group further expanded into continental Europe with the acquisition of Hypo-Vereinsbank's real estate business, headquartered in Munich. In June 2003, Invesco became the first Sino-American fund company to set up in China, forming a joint venture partnership with Great Wall Securities. In June 2005, it became the first foreign firm authorized by the government to increase its joint venture ownership stake from 33% to 49%, and opened an office in Shenzhen, the new financial capital of China. A World of Opportunity2005 to Present
Recognizing the changes in the defined contribution recordkeeping and administration business, and the company's desire to focus solely on asset management, the company sold AMVESCAP Retirement, Inc, in the spring of 2005. In August 2005, Martin L. Flanagan became president and chief executive officer, with Charles Brady remaining as Chairman. Under the leadership of Flanagan and his senior management team, AMVESCAP has begun to build a business with renewed business momentum by taking advantage of AMVESCAP's inherent global strengths and simplifying its operating platform. In March, Charles W. Brady announced his decision to step down from his position as chairman of the Board of Directors of AMVESCAP at the conclusion of the company's Annual General Meeting on April 27, 2006. Mr. Brady was succeeded as chairman by Rex Adams who had been a non-executive director of the company since November 2001.
In September 2006, AMVESCAP announced it had completed its previously announced acquisition of PowerShares Capital Management LLC, a leader in the fast-growing exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry. PowerShares family of distinctive ETFs began being distributed by AIM Investments in September of 2006. Read the Press Release.
In October 2006, AMVESCAP announced it had completed its previously announced acquisition of WL Ross & Co. LLC, one of the investment industry's leading financial restructuring groups. The addition of WL Ross & Co. significantly expanded the range of sophisticated investments for AMVESCAP's global clients. Read the Press Release.
To better leverage the strengths of one of the company's existing brands, in early 2007, senior management proposed a resolution to shareholders to replace the AMVESCAP name with Invesco. Invesco was chosen from among the company's strong brands as it is the one brand used in every market the company operates in and because being an investment management company is embedded in the name.
The company introduced a new brand identity to share our vision of Invesco as an integrated, global investment management organization. In May 2007, shareholders of AMVESCAP PLC approved the resolution to change the name of the company from AMVESCAP PLC to Invesco PLC. Additionally, the ticker symbol used by the company on the London Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange changed from "AVZ "to "IVZ" on May 24, 2007. Read the Press Release. In September 2007, the Board of Directors proposed to shareholders that Invesco move its primary listing from the London Stock Exchange to the New York Stock Exchange. Read the Press Release. In November, 2007, Invesco PLC Shareholders Approved Relisting on the New York Stock Exchange. Read the Press Release. On December 4, 2007 American Depositary Shares and Canadian exchangeable shares were replaced with Invesco Ltd. common shares and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange marking a major milestone for Invesco that further enhanced our visibility by providing direct comparability with our peer global investment management firms.
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