Since the emergence of “Modern Portfolio Theory” and the “Capital Asset Pricing Model” in the late 1960s, institutional investors have taken a quantitatively driven approach to portfolio construction, looking to create portfolio diversification and obtain better risk-adjusted returns by balancing their asset-class exposures. This journey has seen several important advancements in thinking about how to optimally achieve desired results.
Funds that want to take the total portfolio approach first need to get the total portfolio view. To do that they not only need data – and lots of it – but a rock-solid understanding of exactly how they’re going to use it.
Mercer recruits for trust sales
(Pictured: Wes Palmer)
After 15 years in asset servicing and custody, Wes Palmer has transitioned to broader investment sales and marketing, taking up a position at Mercer as a principal in the financial services division.
The Melbourne-based position involves sales for the $17 billion Mercer super trusts, corporate super and administration.
Palmer, a former British army officer, spent the past five years at RBC Investor Services and the previous 10 years at NAB Asset Servicing, both as a senior sales executive.
RBC closed its Melbourne office last October and the staff who did not want to move to Sydney were made redundant. Palmer was retained, however, until the end of January to tidy up some loose ends with two new deals for the firm.
