State Super Financial Services, which advises on $8.3 billion predominantly on behalf of retired NSW public servants, has drawn from the senior ranks of an asset consultant for its new chief investment officer.

Richard Dinham, a senior asset consultant of four years’ service with Russell Investments, will start on June 1 at SSFS, replacing Oscar Fabian who resigned to become CIO of VicSuper in April.

Dinham will report to SSFS managing director, Peter McKillop, and work alongside Terry Reid, the general manager of financial planning for the firm’s 44,000 clients. Dinham will be responsible for managing SSFS’ range of multimanager funds.

Russell said it was recruiting for five new roles in its Australian consulting practice, including three consultants, one of whom will replace Dinham.

It was also looking to recruit a director of capital markets research, and a director of consulting based in its Melbourne office. The firm recently lost its Melbourne-based director of institutional and government relations, Harry Moore, to the client service team of Colonial First State Global Asset Management, whose Australasian boss is Russell’s former client service chief, Joanna Davison.

The consultant also announced yesterday the appointment of Samantha Steele as a senior research analyst, focusing on real estate and private equity manager research.