Jarrod Brown, chief executive of Bennelong Funds Management, has hired former army captain and Geelong Cats runner Roger Phipps as director of distribution.

Phipps, who worked at HSBC Holdings Plc, is part of a four-person team headed by Andrew Aitken.

Brown wants to add more funds to the Bennelong stable and is in talks with prospective managers.

He declines to name any of the funds he is negotiating with but said they included companies in the U.S.

“We look for partners to grow the business,” says Brown, who grew up in Geelong and remains a passionate supporter of its Australian Rules team.

Bennelong employs 35 people and offers Australian large and small cap equity funds, a hedge fund and a property fund. The company takes a large stake in start-up funds and provides salaries, offices and administration staff.