News

Colonial First State Global Asset Management today starts the rebranding of its business with the new name First Sentier Investors. This follows the completion of its sale last month to Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation. The new owner is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG), an $800 billion manager,…

by Wietske Blees* Regulatory scrutiny around client and investor protection continues to increase, with both the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) sharpening regulations and, critically, enforcement of those regulations. ASIC in particular has ramped up what it refers to as “high deterrence enforcement” resulting in a 20 per…

by Chris Bedingfield* The world has changed dramatically for asset managers in the past decade. For those who believe they have something different to offer the market, it has perhaps never been harder to start up on their own. From super funds insourcing their asset management capabilities, to the chicken-and-egg circle of research houses who…

by Greg Bright Ken Marshman, the independent chair of Rest, called them the ‘matchmaker’, ‘the fiancé’ and ‘Muriel’. They are three people who have been involved in no less than 13 super fund mergers. In the current climate, their experiences should be noted by all funds. Marshman, also a former chief executive of JANA Investment…

Michelle Gardiner, chair of the investment committee at CareSuper, offered a five-point plan for super funds to maximise their performance and member engagement. It was an “anthropological” view, presented at the AIST’s Australian Super Investments conference. Gardiner spoke at ASI’s popular Women in Super breakfast, sponsored by J.P. Morgan. Her talk dove-tailed nicely with the…

Louise Bradshaw is to become the first dedicated ESG investment professional at the $9 billion Australian Catholic Superannuation and Retirement Fund. Greg Cantor, the chief executive, recalled the Sydney-based fund launched its first ‘responsible investment’ option in 2002. It has a long history in the space. The new recruit, who joins the investment team led…

The Australian Custodial Services Association turned 25 this year. It is one of those behind-the-scenes organisations which work away for the benefit of the whole industry without seeking much limelight. Well, it shone at the AIST’s ASI conference last week. In a “special interest” session at the conference, Rob Brown, ACSA’s chief executive, supported by…

For those in the retirement savings industry money saved by members, mainly through super and a house, is a major focus of our working lives. But a happy retirement is not just about money, believe it or not. Enter Jon Glass. Dr Glass, a recently semi-retired investment professional – asset consultant, fund manager and CIO…

David O’Donnell, an investment analyst at the $7 billion Energy Super, has won the seventh annual ‘Rising Star Award’, sponsored by Hermes Investment Management. It is the only award he has won since he got the ‘best and fairest’ for his ‘Under 13s’ cricket team, he said. The Rising Star Award, announced at AIST’s ASI…

Loftus Peak, a boutique equities house, is expanding its remit with the appointment of a professional funds management chief executive. Rick Steele has had a long career in the industry, including several senior roles at both big and small companies. Alex Pollak, the Loftus Peak founder, a former finance journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald…

Global financial market infrastructure firm Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has laid out a chapter-and-verse governance model for the nascent blockchain universe. In a just-published white paper produced with consultancy giant, Accenture, DTCC establishes eight commandments for running ‘permissioned’ blockchains – also known as distributed ledger technology (DLT). Unlike the headline-grabbing blockchain antics of…

by Greg Bright Over the next few months the challenge for the major smart beta providers in Australia and New Zealand will change dramatically. It’s not necessarily bad news for investors, though. But it’s not so good, either. The two biggest players in the market, who have been joined at the hip for years, are…