This year’s FEAL conference theme proved prescient when chosen, what seems a long time ago, in February. The theme was: ‘Resilience: How to Survive and Thrive in a Time of Disruption’. With a bit of luck, the organisation is showing similar foresight in announcing that the postponed annual members’ dinner will take place on November…
FNZ, the company which brought new-age investment options to Australia’s largest super funds, could be forced to sell down its acquired Australian software firm, GBST, by November 19, after the takeover was deemed anti-competitive by a UK regulator. In a decision handed down last week, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ruled the $260 million-plus…
by Greg Bright Franklin Templeton announced its new leadership team last week, including the important Australasian and APAC parts of the business, prior to the official completion on July 31 of the takeover of Legg Mason, the global multi-affiliate manager. Now, the hard work begins. Multi-affiliate managers tend to be a different breed to traditional…
In a regular series of presentations on the state of play in their markets by its affiliated managers, GSFM has demonstrated the diversification advantages that multi-affiliate funds management businesses have over their single-manager counterparts. The aim, as obvious as it sounds, is to have more winners than losers at any particular time. Damien McIntyre, the…
As the ‘S’ in ‘ESG’ is becoming increasingly important for big super funds and other fiduciary investors, the generally illegal activity known as ‘Modern Slavery’ in most countries, including Australia and New Zealand, has shown up the difficulties in finding out about and addressing bad behaviour down the supply chain. This is bad behaviour and…
Cbus Super’s new chief executive will be Justin Arter, a former Australia country head for BlackRock and a former UK head of institutional business for that manager. Perhaps more importantly for his new role, Arter is also a former chief executive of VFMC, the Victorian Government-owned manager, which has a similar culture to that of…
Franklin Equity Group’s John Remmert and Donald Huber share which trends they think are permanent and which are likely just a phase.
In 1999, towards the end of the internet bubble, there was a lot of talk about people now being able to work from home and, perhaps, being more productive and happier in their jobs, sounding the death knell for mainstream office space. It didn’t happen. Will it happen this time after we come through COVID-19?…
(Pictured: Mavis Robertson) A lot has been written this past week since her untimely death, the result of complications from a fall. But Mavis Robertson’s early years, which defined her later career, are just as remarkable as her years in super, as a workers’ and women’s advocate. They are worth noting among all the tributes…
