Club Plus Super appoints head of investments

Club Plus Super has appointed Gemma Dooley, formerly of Perpetual, as its head of investments. Dooley will be responsible for implementing the trustee’s investment strategy, overseeing Club Plus Super’s investment governance functions and managing relationships with the fund’s asset consultant (Jana), custodian (NAB) and external investment managers. Her previous positions have included general manager of … Read more

VicSuper incorporating natural capital into investment decisions

Natural capital is the stock of natural resources, including land, air, water and living organisms, which yield goods and services thereby providing inputs, both directly and indirectly, to businesses and society. The Natural Capital Declaration (NCD) is a global initiative run for financial institutions that aims to price in the full value of natural capital into … Read more

Superannuation elevated to cabinet level

Turnbull’s cabinet reshuffle has seen the position of Assistant Treasurer elevated to the cabinet level, bringing with it the portfolio for superannuation and financial services. Kelly O’Dwyer has been appointed as the new Assistant Treasurer replacing Josh Frydenberg who has now become the Minster for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia. Tom Garcia, chief executive of … Read more

Super funds get closer to optimal long term investing

Superannuation funds are tapping into a global research project to find a new form of long-term investment management. The Thinking Ahead Institute is pooling feedback from a group of 31 international fund managers and pension funds to help create the structure for a long term mandate that has scale, low fees and ultimately gives members … Read more

APRA must stand alone

It may have gone unnoticed by many, but Friday 26 June 2015 was a highly unusual day in the history of superannuation legislation and our parliamentary process. On the same day that the government released exposure draft legislation to change governance arrangements in superannuation for public consultation, APRA wrote to RSE licensees to outline its … Read more

Sunsuper board now one third ‘independent’

Sunsuper has moved to a one third independent, one third employer and one third employee representative model for its board. Michael Traill AM and Andrew Fraser will start their duties as independents this month and will join Jenni Mack who was appointed as the fund’s first independent in July. All were unanimously selected by the … Read more

Sunsuper finds its voice

A confident public speaker and a voice on investment trends and macroeconomic conditions, Brian Parker joined Sunsuper in the newly created post of chief economist in June, after nearly 10 years at NAB Asset Management. He explains his new role to Investment Magazine. Banks, large fund managers and governments employ chief economists, but until now it is not a common job … Read more

The Future Fund: Extracting value from hedge funds

The Future Fund is using insights from key hedge funds to help predict macroeconomic impacts on its portfolio, delegates heard at the 9th annual Absolute Returns Conference in Sydney. Craig Dandurand, director of debt and alternatives at the Future Fund, explained how its ‘competition of ideas’ approach made it more open to such external input. … Read more

Lacklustre returns put downward pressure on hedge fund fees

A combination of lacklustre performance, a growth in co-investments and liquid alternatives, are putting downward pressure on hedge fund fees, delegates heard at the 9th annual Absolute Returns Conference in Sydney. Richard Johnston, managing partner at Albourne, said the move was being accompanied by a greater questioning of the talent that investors were paying for. … Read more

Sunsuper and AMP tell of hedge fund strategies

Evolving relationships with managers and an openness to different investment vehicles is a theme for two of the country’s largest investors in hedge funds –– Sunsuper and AMP Capital – with both investors looking at co-investment in fund of funds and niche strategies. Speaking on a panel entitled Investor trends in hedge funds at the … Read more

Alternative beta like the early days of internet

The rise and development of alternative beta strategies are reminiscent of the early days of the internet, Philippe Jordan, president of Capital Fund Management told delegates at the Absolute Returns Conference. Investment banks, large institutional fund managers, hedge funds and consultants are all competing to offer such strategies which rely on the use of algorithms … Read more