Key positions in the combined multimanager investment business of BT and St George, BT Investment Solutions, have now been confirmed.

The new manager’s top-down strategy, which aims to draw on macroeconomic and geopolitical analysis, will be led by Felix Stephen, formerly senior strategist with Advance Asset Management, who has been appointed to the role of manager, strategy and research of the multimanager business.

Meanwhile, the head of BT Investment Solutions for the five years prior to the merger of Westpac and St George, Stewart Brentnall, has signed a six-month contract to head a team responsible for integrating the BT and St George multimanager businesses. Patrick Farrell, former general manager of investment solutions with Advance, now leads BT Investment Solutions.

Reporting to Stephen, five portfolio managers will be responsible for researching, selecting and monitoring the underlying managers of specific investment strategies. The portfolio managers are:

-Dustin Adams, formerly a portfolio manager with the St George investment solutions team, will now oversee Australian equities managers;

-Mark Vrkic, formerly a senior analyst with Advance, now has responsibility for international equities managers;

-Andrew Dowie, formerly an economist with St George, now has responsibility for fixed interest managers;

-Dimitra Voutas, formerly a portfolio manager with Advance, will oversee property managers; and

-Chris Thompson, who held responsibility for portfolio construction within BT Investment Solutions, will determine which alternatives managers are selected.

Sidney Chong, previously responsible for analysis, manager research and portfolio construction of BT’s multi-manager fixed income and alternatives portfolios, has also been appointed quantitative research manager, while Adrian Trollor has become investment sustainability manager