AustralianSuper pinches Paula Benson from IFM

AustralianSuper has appointed Paula Benson as chief officer of strategy and corporate affairs. She has worked in funds management, banking, resources, healthcare and infrastructure, and is as a senior corporate affairs executive and non-executive director.  Benson was recently the global head of marketing, brand, and communications at IFM Investors. Prior to this, she was the … Read more

Ignition nabs Mason Stevens CTO

Ignition Advice has appointed Masons Stevens chief technology officer Enda Mahoney to lead the digital advice firm’s platform and product division. In addition to his previous role at Mason Stevens, he has held senior leadership positions in fintech and institutional firms, including SS&C, Bravura, Blackrock Solutions, Macquarie Bank, Colonial First State, and BT Financial Group. … Read more

The buy-now, pay-later member conundrum that super funds will struggle to solve

Consolidation today to boost member numbers and drive down costs in accumulation phase could be setting up funds for a big problem tomorrow when those same members move into retirement or need services from their fund.

Bentham appoints to wholesale distribution manager

Investment manager Bentham Asset Management has promoted Larry Francis to wholesale distribution manager for NSW and Queensland. Francis has more than seven years of experience across sales and distribution roles, and has a strong background in the credit asset management sector. Before joining Bentham’s distribution team over three years ago, he worked at Clime Asset … Read more

Valuation frequency must be weighed carefully: Frontier

Investment consultancy Frontier Advisors is working with Australian asset owners to hold fund managers accountable for appropriate valuation of unlisted assets. Frontier said in a media release on Wednesday that embedding a continuous increase in valuation frequency comes at a cost that must be weighed up carefully, because members ultimately wear it. At a time … Read more

A thriving and trusted financial sector needs media advocates

In his first outing for Investment Magazine, the new editor-in-chief of this publication argues that a healthy financial services sector needs media that provides more than just information and opinion. It also needs advocacy and leadership.

Jollie to step down as abrdn MD

Brett Jollie will step down as managing director of abrdn on 21 July due to the completion of the restructuring of the Australian arm of the business. His career with abrdn spans 23 years, including the last 14 years as managing director. His previous roles included head of distribution and chief operating officer. “This is … Read more

Different roles for different goals: the art of building investment teams

Three of the largest funds in Australia and New Zealand share key insights about how they structure and manage investment teams. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, with each fund approaching the issue differently, depending on its investment objectives and needs.