RBC Dexia Investor Services has flagged a push beyond its funds management backoffice outsourcing base in Australia, with the appointment of a prominent new business development executive from National Custodian Services.

Wesley Palmer will join RBC Dexia IS from National Custodian Services (NCS) in about one month, reporting to regional head of sales and relationship management Michael Bonhote. Palmer focussed on fund administration sales at NCS, however Bonhote said he had experience across several additional areas which RBC Dexia wished to branch into in Australia. Bonhote said Palmer, who’ll work with business development director Rob Chowdhury, will help refresh the custodian’s sales presence after the resource-intensive take-on of Goldman Sachs JBWere Asset Management’s fund administration and unit registry, which began late 2006. It is yet to be decided whether Palmer will remain in Melbourne or move to Sydney.