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.
Treasury’s Walsh heading to Rotterdam
(Pictured: Peter Walsh)
Peter Walsh, the director of distribution at the listed multi-affiliate manager Treasury Group, is heading overseas in the new year to take up a big job at Robeco in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.
Walsh, who has been a researcher, lecturer and funds management marketer in his career, has been at Treasury for three years. He had previously established the Australian presence of Putnam Investments in the mid-2000s, before that relationship was subsumed in the merger of BT, Westpac and Rothschild.
Treasury Group recently announced it was selling its small Asian equities manager affiliate, Treasury Asia Asset Management, to Nikko Asset Management.
Walsh said he would remain with Treasury until the end of the year and then look to start at Robeco in February. Family reasons were a big part of the move, he said, as his Swedish-born wife and their young daughter would be a lot closer to his in-laws.
Walsh’s new job is head of consultant relations at Robeco. The firm is the former funds management arm of Rabo Bank. It has about US$250 billion under management.
