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(Pictured: Jennifer Bender) With the evolution of what most people call ‘smart beta’, but State Street calls ‘advanced beta’, Jennifer Bender says that the two overriding trends are the recognition that these are new beta tools to be used to mix and match depending on the investor’s profile and that there are strong diversification benefits to…

(Pictured: Pam McAlister) Since Arthur Sinodinos stood down as assistant treasurer early this year, speculation around compulsory structural changes to super fund boards, which he had proposed, has also died down. But most people in the industry believe the trend for more independents is inevitable. Mercer has surveyed some big funds about their readiness. The Mercer…

(Pictured: Keith Heydon) AIMA Australia has announced the keynote speakers for its annual conference on September 16 at the Sydney Sofitel Wentworth Hotel. They include Keith Haydon, the CIO of Man Group affiliate FRM. Haydon runs US$11 billion of FRM money and sits on the Man Group executive committee overseeing US$55 billion. Other keynotes include: David…

Toby Potter, the chair and one of the founders of the Institute of Managed Account Providers, probably has more experience in this growing part of the industry than anyone in Australia. He founded, just over 10 years ago, what became the recently listed Managed Accounts Ltd and  developed what is now a portfolio of more…

(Pictured: Kimon Kouryialas) Martin Currie, the Edinburgh-based global manager, is to integrate the Australian equities business of Legg Mason in a deal announced in the UK last night. The deal involves Martin Currie becoming a wholly owned affiliate of Legg Mason. Kimon Kouryialas, Martin Currie’s director of Pan Asia sales and client service, said completion of…

(Pictured: Greg Liddell) by Greg Bright Russell Investments’ consulting arm hasn’t been formally laid to rest, although the industry has been increasingly concerned about its health for several years. With the latest departure – that of Greg Liddell – maybe it’s time to say goodbye. Liddell, Russell’s managing director of Advisory Services in Australia, has resigned…

(Pictured: Andreas Faeste) Andreas Faeste, an experienced funds management marketer, has formed his own firm, Breakwater Advisory, and will represent in Australia the diversified former ING subsidiary in the US, the publicly listed Voya Investment Management. Voya has been doing business, as ING, in Australia for more than 15 years, mainly through private placements of Australian…

(Pictured: Andrew White) by Penny Pryor  The ASX’s tri-party collateral management service, ASX Collateral, has reached $500 million in balances in fixed income assets and expects that figure to reach $2 billion by the end of the month. ASX Collateral started with fixed income in July last year, in partnership with Clearstream Banking, and plans to…

(Pictured: Indy Karlekar) The adoption of a responsible property investing (RPI) strategy will reduce operating costs and increase operating income as well as asset values over the medium term, according to Indy Karlekar, the managing director, global research and strategy, for Principal Global Investors. Karlekar was in Australia last week for a CIE conference, where he…

(Pictured: Ross Bernays) Ross Bernays, the former chief executive of Health Industry Plan (HIP), which merged with Prime Super in May, has launched a funds management servicing company, Investment and Financial Services Logistics. The company will blend third-party marketing and events with placement agency offerings. Bernays said that the service aimed to support investors, fund managers…