News

(Pictured: Anne Richards) by Greg Bright Anne Richards, the global CIO of Aberdeen Asset Management, is nothing if not versatile. Last week she spoke at the Women on Boards annual ‘diversity’ index launch in Sydney to a wide media audience, and then two days later presented on trends in retirement incomes at the CMSF conference on…

(Pictured: Sam Mann) Franklin Templeton Solutions, which incorporates K2 Advisors, the hedge fund-of-funds business, has added an experienced asset consultant to its team, reflecting the evolution of the leaders among these firms since the global financial crisis. They are now focused on multi-asset, outcome-oriented strategies and bespoke portfolios. Felicity Walsh has joined Franklin Templeton after 11…

(Pictured: Bev Durston and David Wright) By Greg Bright Investors and fund managers have had a big rethink about their strategies and business models in the past seven years. No group has been more affected by the global financial crisis than alternatives managers, especially in Australia. This report, based on a roundtable hosted by MST Capital,…

(Pictured: Daryl Crich) Super fund trustees and executives appear to be getting a bit stroppy about the amount of regulation by which they are governed, which, they mostly believe, will become more onerous over the next 10 years, according to a survey conducted jointly by Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees and custodian BNP Paribas Securities Services….

(Pictured: Craig Stanford)  AIMA Australia, the alternative investment managers’ group, is to expand its education committee under new committee chair, Craig Stanford, the head of alternative investments at Ibbotson Associates. Stanford, who is also an AIMA executive committee member, said last week that the education committee would be looking initially to apply CPD points for…

(Pictured: Tim Sims) For the first time, in 2014, investment in Australian private equity by sovereign wealth funds around the world and other big overseas investors outpaced that by Australian investors, according to Yasser El-Ansary, the chief executive of Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCAL). But, at the same time, the performance of Australian…

(Pictured: Brad Young) Brad Young, the co-chief executive and head of investments at Altius Associates of the US, who has been visiting Australia at least once a year for 10 years, believes interest in private equity has been picking up for the last couple of years and there will be more funds moving into the asset…

(Pictured: Barry McInerney) Bank of Montreal’s asset management business, which opened a Sydney office in 2013, may well be the fastest growing fund management firm in the world. Barry McInerney, co-chief executive in charge of asset management outside Canada, outlined some of his plans for the region. BOM Global Asset Management has expanded its funds under…

(Pictured: Brian Keogh) Thomas Murray IDS, the specialist international custody consultant, has re-established a Melbourne office with the recruitment of two experienced executives formerly from NAB and will part company with Peter Katz, who has represented the firm for the past five years from his base in Wellington, New Zealand. Brian Keogh and Adam Zani will…

(Pictured: Jo Townsend) Jo Townsend, the general manager, investments, at REST will become the new chief executive of Funds SA after a search, replacing the CFO, John Piteo, who had been acting in the top job since Richard Smith retired in January. For REST, Townsend’s departure in April will be the second loss of a senior…

(Pictured: Peter Baker) Mercer Sentinel is looking to expand its capabilities in workflows among super funds and other clients, targeting inefficiencies between front, middle and back-office systems and procedures. Peter Baker, who joined the firm as Australia and New Zealand head late last year, has already recruited a senior consultant. Baker, who joined from BNP Paribas…

(Pictured: Warren Chant and Andrea West) Fees, retirement incomes and insurance are dominant issues for big super funds and other fiduciary investors. They are the themes backgrounding selection of the annual Chant West superannuation and pension fund award winners, to be presented at a black-tie dinner in Sydney on May 6. The third annual awards cover…