By Jerome Lander* Media Super has been highlighted recently in the media as an underperforming fund. There is no need for Media Super to remain that way. Frankly, they look like they could do with some help! One of the main opportunities Media Super has to add value to their members is in fact something…
By Carol Geremia* The importance of a healthy organisational culture is well-known and thoroughly researched. In some senses, it is one of the most well-trodden modern-day management nostrums, trumpeted in hundreds of PowerPoints, mission statements, media releases and home-pages, and long since departed to the graveyard of corporate-speak cliche. But here’s the thing – culture…
The $17 billion West Australian Government super fund, GESB, has terminated its asset consulting contract with Mercer Investment Consulting following a review. The new consultant is JANA Investment Advisers. Mercer is understood to be continuing to provide actuarial advice to the defined benefit part of the fund. (A GESB spokesperson was unavailable last week to…
(Pictured:Â Michael Cole) After years of discussions, both formal and informal, the big three NSW Government funds have agreed to a three-way merger to create a $60 billion fiduciary fund for super and insurance. Michael Cole, the well-regarded former fund manager and business man, will be its chairman. NSW State Super (SAS Trustee Corporation – known…
(Pictured:Â Kerry Series) Kerry Series and key staff at Eight Investment Partners (8IP), the boutique small cap and Asian equities specialist, have bought back the firm from major shareholder Sanlam. Sanlam, a South African financial services firm, backed the establishment of 8IP by Kerry Series after earlier acquiring another Australian boutique, Atom Funds Management. Following the…
(Pictured:Â Paul Wells) La Trobe Financial, which is Australia’s largest and oldest privately owned mortgage lender and credit fund manager, has entered the RMBS market with a $102 million public raising. La Trobe* and its long-time banker, Commonwealth Bank, which is lead manager, have priced a capital markets residential mortgage-backed securities issuance covering 586 “near prime”…
(Pictured:Â Slim Feriani) Emerging and frontier markets have taken a caning in the past couple of years as their economies have dropped back a cog and investors appear concerned about the impact of the US Government’s tapering. For the brave, however, the climate presents many opportunities. Dr Slim Feriani, a former academic who is the chief…
 (Pictured: Tony Freeman) Omgeo, the global transactions systems company now owned by the US Government-owned DTCC, has appointed a new chief executive, Paula Arthus. The appointment is seen as a reflection of the evolution of Omgeo to become more of an industry utility. Omgeo was previously a joint venture between DTCC (the Depository Trust & Clearing…
Ben Thornley… ‘Many investors still have a black and white mindset’ With the introduction of ‘social bonds’ and a range of other initiatives backed by a combination of governments and private money, the notion of ‘impact investing’ is creating increasing interest among super funds in Australia and other big investors around the world. Ben Thornley,…
(Pictured:Â Gerard Noonan) Comment by Greg Bright Media Super has taken the unusual decision to do away with the role of chief investment officer, terminating Jon Glass after five years with the $3.5 billion fund. This has been done to save on costs. Graeme Russell, the chief executive, will now oversee investments with the support of…
