Agnes Hong appointed Head of Public Market Equities, Aware Super
SUPERMOVES
Agnes Hong, Head of Public Market Equities, Aware Super
January 2024
Global Investment Institute congratulates Agnes Hong on joining Aware Super as the Head of Public Market Equities.
Aware Super is one of Australia’s largest industry funds providing superannuation, advice and retirement solutions to those who teach, nurse, care, respond and help others in our communities. The Fund currently manages a combined asset pool of A$150 billion on behalf of its 1.1 million members.
As Head of Public Market Equities, Agnes will lead Aware Super’s public markets portfolio of ~A$90 billion, with responsibility for the development of Aware’s public market equities capabilities across systematic, managed and direct equities. Agnes will also lead the development of the team’s 2030 public market equities strategy.
“I am excited to be relocating back to Australia to join one of the nation’s leading super funds with an impressive returns track record and a leading responsible investment focus. Having lived and worked overseas, I also have a deep appreciation of the value Australia’s superannuation system plays in the retirement futures of all Australians, and I’m energised to play a key role in generating a strong retirement income pipeline for Aware Super’s 1.1 million members”, Agnes commented.
Agnes will join Aware in Sydney, commencing in February 2024. She will be relocating from Philadelphia and will report to Simon Warner, Aware’s Head of Portfolio Management.
Simon joined the Fund in September 2023 and has responsibility for overseeing investments across public markets, private equity, property and infrastructure, and reports directly to the fund CIO, Damian Graham. Agnes’ appointment further strengthens the Fund’s public market equities team, with Murray Keir promoted to Senior Portfolio Manager for systematic equities, Alvin Chan confirmed as Portfolio Manager for Direct Equities, Bruce Low promoted to Portfolio Manager reporting to Alvin Chan, and with Dan Hunt remaining as the Portfolio Manager for Manager Equities.
Commenting on Agnes’ appointment, Simon remarked, “Aware Super was thrilled to have attracted Agnes back to Australia to help drive the next evolution of the Fund’s ~$90 billion Public Market Equities strategy. Having someone with Agnes’ calibre, skills and global experience to lead the evolution of our public market equities strategies across internally and externally managed, systematic and fundamental strategies, will set a new benchmark for how Australian super funds can extract value from this sector. This new role is also sending a signal to the market that we are evolving and deepening our strategic engagements with corporates, brokers and advisers to become their preferred partner as companies increasingly seek capital and undertake transactions to deliver sustainable and appropriate returns to shareholders.”
Agnes has over two decades of expertise in asset management in Australia, Hong Kong and the US, and joins Aware Super from Vestmark Advisory Solutions where she was CIO and Head of Advisory Services. Her previous roles also include: Senior Portfolio Manager at Vanguard; Equity Investment Group; Head of Passive Equity Portfolio Management at Charles Schwab Investment Management; and Portfolio Manager for Global Institutional Index Equities and Quant Active Equities at Blackrock.
Agnes is a CFA Charterholder and a CAIA Charterholder. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Business Information Systems from the University of New South Wales.
We wish Agnes all the best in her new role and continued success to the team at Aware Super.
