Russell Investments is anticipating stronger client emphasis on after-tax investing after filling the new position of director of after-tax investment strategies, while also appointing another senior analyst to its risk team.
Raewyn Williams (pictured), formerly tax strategist with Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), will start at Russell three weeks from today with a crucial and ambitious mandate to fill, said Greg Liddell, director of Russell’s consulting & advisor services.
With a background as a tax lawyer, Williams brings a CV with deep heft to the table: most recently as head of after-tax investing with QIC, and before that 15 years of tax practice with Barclays Global Investors and KPMG.
Liddell said Williams would address three areas: auditing clients’ after-tax investment strategies; analysing the after-tax efficiency of Russell’s funds; and establishing tax as a global knowledge division within Russell.
“Raewyn’s appointment is proactive in positioning Russell at the head of the consulting community,” Liddell said. “To my knowledge, we’re the only consultant with a full-time dedicated after-tax expert.”
This area would become “crucial” in the lead-up to Cooper’s report on the superannuation industry, Liddell said, because there would be a move to measuring performance on super funds’ after-tax returns to members.
In Williams’ second area of responsibility – after-tax efficiency – she would be working with Symon Parish and Scott Bennett, said Greg Liddell.
Also at Russell, Chris Inman joined as a senior analyst today after working at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. Inman’s brief is the performance and risk analysis of client portfolios.
Liddell said “various interviewers put him through the hoops on statistical techniques and finance theory”.
Inman also published on various topics while at APRA, and while Inman’s appointment “was not an easy decision”, according to Liddell, Inman was the “outstanding candidate in a field of outstanding candidates”.
