The head of institutional sales at Australian Unity Investments (AUI), Adam Coughlan, has left the multi-boutique manager and taken up contract work with a research house in Sydney.

Adam Coughlan

Coughlan, who joined AUI in mid-2007 from a retail distribution role at Colonial First State, resigned from the Melbourne-based role in late April and began working as a contracted consultant with van Eyk soon afterwards.

Coughlan, who has 15 years of experience in retail funds management, is assisting van Eyk general manager Jeffrey Hall to improve the customer relationship management and distribution processes used by the company’s revamped sales team.

The team has been rebuilt after former head of distribution, Michael Angwin, left to spearhead AQR Capital Management’s sales efforts to financial advisors after just seven months at van Eyk.

Last week, the researcher and multi-manager announced that Lyndall James had joined from OnePath as national business development manager. This followed the appointment of Angela O’Connor to a sales role and Karlena Burnett as client services coordinator.

Coughlan’s former boss at AUI, David Bryant, said the manager would “definitely be replacing Coughlan, as much as he replaceable”.

“This is a very senior job,” siad Bryant, “and we’ll take our time in finding the right person who’ll fit with us in the business. We’ll be working through recruiters, and through our other networks.”

While AUI searches, Bryant will cover Coughlan’s former territory of insto sales.