Rob Leck, Senior Manager, Total Portfolio Risk & Regulatory Modelling, REST

November 2021

GII is delighted to report that Rob Leck has been appointed to the role of Senior Manager, Total Portfolio Risk & Regulatory Modelling at REST, commencing in the role today. We wish Rob all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at REST.

GII is excited to partner with Rob who will be Chairing our Virtual Roundtable on Your Future, Your Super, which we are hosting this Thursday, 11 November 2021, via video call (this event is at capacity), and we thank Rob for his ongoing support.

ESG: From risk to opportunity

Liza McDonald, Head of Responsible Investments, Aware Super

Seeing ESG issues finally move into the mainstream is a very exciting development. We have always thought about ESG from a risk perspective, but we are now focusing far more on the opportunities.

There’s enormous scope for funds to deliver sustainable returns for members by supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. Further, regulation around climate change is moving in the right direction and ambitious action is being considered that may accelerate innovation and provide significant investment opportunities.

Upside versus downside: Asymmetric investing in a bull-market

Webinar | Rob Tucker, Managing Director, Chester AM - October 21

In this ~30 minute webinar Rob shares where he and his team are finding investment opportunities in the Australian equity market and discusses how the current backdrop is presenting ways to find unloved and underappreciated assets.

Perspectives on China: Key considerations for institutional investors

Matthew Gertken, Vice President, Geopolitical Strategy, BCA Research

Matt shares his perspectives on China and the many considerations for Australia (and other Western economies) in managing their relationship with this great power, both in its region and globally, in this exclusive interview with Global Investment Institute (GII).

Christopher Hall, Director, Funds SA

October 2021

Funds SA announced the appointment of Christopher Hall as a Director, effective from 4 October 2021. Christopher brings extensive experience to the Board in investment and funds management. He is currently the Chief Investment Officer of Ellerston Capital, and a member of a number of board investment committees.

Funds SA is owned by the government of South Australia and manages investment portfolios on behalf of South Australia’s public sector superannuation funds and approved public authorities, managing funds in excess of AU$40 billion.

GII interview with VFMC's outgoing CEO: The next chapter

Lisa Gray, Ex-Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC)

In April 2021, VFMC announced that Lisa would be transitioning from her executive career and on 30 September 2021, she departed VFMC, replaced by Kate Galvin as the incoming Chief Executive Officer. After nearly six years with VFMC, Lisa advised that it was time for her to pursue her interests across a broad portfolio of directorship and advisory roles.

Lisa shared her reflections on her time at VFMC and what her future holds in this exclusive interview with GII.

Financial Repression means a different investing climate

Rob Tucker, Managing Director, Chester Asset Management

We have arrived at a juncture of financial repression.

We see a problematic period ahead, whereby central banks are facing the prospect of slowing economic growth, while grappling with meaningful inflation for the first time in almost 40 years.

This challenge of unwinding the easy monetary policy settings suggests to us that uncertainty will create more volatility.

Tim Helyar, Country Head, Australia, State Street

October 2021

State Street announced today the appointment of Tim Helyar as Head of Australia (based in Sydney). Tim will commence in the role next month and he will oversee State Street’s Australian business with responsibility for driving the enterprise-wide growth strategy, stewarding client engagement, developing talent and maintaining strong regulatory relationships.

State Street also announced the appointment of Kevin Hardy as the Head of Singapore and Southeast Asia today, as part of the business’ Asia Pacific growth plan. Both roles will report to Mostapha Tahiri, Chief Executive Officer, State Street for Asia Pacific.

Challenges present as opportunities for those willing to shift portfolios away from the status quo

Philip Naylor, Principal Consultant, Frontier Advisors

Philip focuses on optimising the investment strategy for clients to enable them to meet the needs of their beneficiaries. This involves thinking about how to navigate some of the big secular macro forces, as well as navigating shorter-term fluctuations in markets. Although thinking about the challenges facing investment portfolios over the coming years can be overwhelming, there are significant opportunities on the horizon, particularly for those willing to shift portfolios away from the status quo.

Osvaldo Acosta, Head of Fixed Interest Assets (IOOF and MLC), IOOF Holdings Ltd

October 2021

Osvaldo has been appointed as the Head of Fixed Interest Assets (IOOF, MLC) at IOOF Holdings Ltd (IOOF), following the completion of the MLC acquisition from National Australia Bank (NAB), which took effect from 31 May 2021. This appointment will see Osvaldo responsible for portfolio management and performance of the various fixed income portfolios at IOOF and MLC.

GII congratulates Osvaldo on his appointment and wish him and his team continued success.

Damien Webb, Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Aware Super

October 2021

Damien Webb has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of Aware Super as it prepares to become a $250 billion fund in the coming years.

In addition to continuing to lead Aware’s real assets team, his new role will also see him working closely with the Chief Investment Officer, Damian Graham to expand the investment team (expected to double in size and expand offshore) and implement the fund’s investment strategy, as it paves the way forward to becoming a powerhouse within Australia’s superannuation industry.

The hunt for yield and the challenge of managing overall risk in rethinking defensive allocations

Will Hamilton, Managing Partner, Hamilton Wealth Partners

The challenge for everyone is the ‘hunt for yield’, whilst managing overall risk. The defensive allocation has become very difficult to manage with bond markets where they are, in the low interest rate settings.

We are very conscious of risk and that is the key driver in how we build client portfolios. The last three years have seen a drastic change to our asset allocation mix and whilst performance has been strong, the focus remains on clients and delivering for them into the future.

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