Australia’s superannuation funds have nearly the highest proportion of internal asset management in the world, but there’s plenty of questions hanging over the practice even as funds push into more expensive niche asset classes.
The retirement chief of the $335 billion AustralianSuper, who was “instrumental” in delivering a slew of member experience uplifts across a 17-year stint with the fund, will leave this month to establish a new venture.
Q&A with Fabio Ferro
This week we had the pleasure of speaking with the exceptional Fabio Ferro, Director of Scala Private Wealth. Specialising in investment advice for high-net-worth families, Fabio is an avid writer and outspoken market commentator. Here’s what he had to say:
Favourite weekend activity in COVID-19 lockdown?
Heading out cycling with my boys.
What was your favourite holiday destination pre-COVID 19?
Italy, of course.
What is the first thing you will be doing post-COVID 19 lockdown?
Holiday to New Zealand (our only option).
Online shopping or bricks & mortar?
Mix, but preference for the bricks-and-mortar experience.
What are you most optimistic about as an Australian?
Covid-19 management.
Four dream dinner guests – historical or current?
Julius Caesar, Eisenhower, Ray Dalio (Bridgwater), Jerome Powell (Federal Reserve).
What is your personal investment policy in 50 words or less?
Objective-based Investment.
What is your preferred investment vehicle?
Stocks all the way.
What is the best investment decision/recommendation you have ever made?
NVIDIA, graphics processing unit chip manufacturer (up 100% in 2020).
What is the worst investment decision/recommendation you have made?
Tribeca.
In the event of financial Armageddon, do you hold gold bullion, cryptocurrency or USD?
Gold Bullion.
What is your biggest concern for investors today?
That everything depends on the Federal Reserve’s policies.
Will President Trump be re-elected in 2020?
Yes.
You can only buy one Australian company for the next 10 years – what is it and why?
CSL – probably the best-managed company in Australia.
You can only buy one global company for the next 10 years – what is it and why?
Microsoft – a great company with the capacity of reinventing itself.
