Spotlight on Colin Liang, Portfolio Manager-Redwheel China Equity Fund & Head of China Research, Redwheel

Colin is the Portfolio Manager of the Redwheel China Equity Fund responsible for managing a concentrated, China-only equity portfolio and leads a six-person China research team within Redwheel’s 24-person Emerging and Frontier Markets investment team. The team employ a flexible index-agnostic approach to investing, combining top-down, thematic and bottom-up research to identify attractive GARP opportunities with significant tailwinds.

Chinese equities feature a high return dispersion making it a fertile ground for skilful stock selection strategies with less dependence on macroeconomic considerations or timing market beta. Given the additional tailwinds of structural inflows, China has the potential to become a significantly larger part of global equity portfolios, including a stand-alone allocation, over the next decade.

Colin will be presenting on the growth opportunities re-emerging in China equities at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Equities & Growth Assets Investment Forum, taking place on Wednesday, 7 September 2022 at the Westin, Melbourne CBD, Victoria.

To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan.kapetanovic@globalii.com.au.

Spotlight on Dan Annan, Chief Executive Officer, Cosmos Asset Management

Dan is the Chief Executive Officer of Cosmos Asset Management, where he is responsible for leading the business operations with a view from the intersection between traditional finance and the evolution of the digital economy—designing and providing investors access to the cryptocurrency asset class—with the aim of delivering best-in-class of the digital economy to investors.

On the surface, cryptocurrencies can make a tempting investment option, and we have seen some speculative investors chasing returns—some have benefited and others have suffered severe losses. As with any emerging asset class, it is crucial that investors understand the fundamentals, and the risks vs. rewards that the asset offers within their investment portfolios.

Dan will be presenting on the latest developments in the world of digital assets and their fit for institutional portfolios at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Fixed Income & Defensive Assets Investment Forum, taking place on Thursday, 8 September 2022 at the Westin, Melbourne CBD, Victoria.

To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan.kapetanovic@globalii.com.au.

Michael Bargholz appointed as a Director & Chair of Investment Committee, Rest

August 2022

GII congratulates Michael Bargholz, CFA on his appointment to the Board of Rest Super. As a Director, Michael will also Chair the Rest Board Investment Committee, of which he has been a non-voting member since 1 September 2020.

Ken Marshman, Chair of the Rest Board said, “Michael is a highly respected and experienced investment leader who will bring a valuable perspective to the Rest Board as we stay focused on helping our members achieve their personal best retirement outcomes.”

Michael’s appointment follows the departure of Steven Priestley. Michael will join the Rest Board from 1 October 2022

We wish Michael all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at Rest.

Craig Matthew appointed Managing Director, Australia & NZ, Pretium

August 2022

GII congratulates Craig Matthew on his appointment as the Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand of Pretium.

Pretium is a specialised investment firm focused on US residential real estate, residential credit, and corporate credit. Pretium manages approximately US$50 billion of assets and employs approximately 4,000 people across more than 30 offices globally.

In his role as Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Craig is responsible for leading business development and client service in the region.

Craig will be based in Sydney, where Pretium is establishing an office, the firm’s first in Australia.

We wish Craig all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at Pretium.

Spotlight on Dr Michael Greenstone, Co-Founder, Climate Vault

The demand for financial products that earn high environmental, social and governance scores is exploding.

A key criterion for an ESG portfolio is its impact on the climate, but therein lies a huge challenge. The interplay between an investment strategy and the amount of CO2 emitted into the world’s atmosphere is notoriously difficult to pin down.

For example, polluting firms that might be excluded from an ESG investment portfolio can simply raise capital elsewhere. The portfolio may therefore be “clean” but the impact on climate change is a wash.

So how can investors help with clean energy transition?

Michael will be presenting Climate Vault’s practical solution to making net zero a reality in fixed income portfolios at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Fixed Income & Defensive Assets Investment Forum, taking place on Thursday, 8 September 2022 at the Westin, Melbourne CBD, Victoria.

To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan.kapetanovic@globalii.com.au.

Padraig Brown appointed Chief Investment Officer, Mercer New Zealand

August 2022

GII congratulates Padraig (Paddy) Brown on his appointment as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Mercer New Zealand, having held the position of interim CIO since May 2022.

Paddy will have permanent responsibility for the New Zealand Investment Management team and all Mercer funds in New Zealand. This promotion also sees him promoted to Partner in the Mercer business.

We wish Paddy all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at Mercer New Zealand.

Spotlight on Ganesh Suntharam, Chief Investment Officer, Redpoint Investment Management

“Among the key developments in our asset class in the last decade has been the significant progression in the conversation around Responsible Investment (RI).

“The implications for investors of the very real and present challenge that global warming presents are that the global financial profession, along with the global community at large, have an important role to play in seeing the world transition to a less carbon intensive future.

“The task of integrating additional RI requirements into equity portfolios is complex, multi-faceted, and requires an extension to the traditional frameworks for constructing and blending portfolios.

Ganesh will be presenting on how to integrate responsible investment objectives into equity portfolios at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Equities & Growth Assets Investment Forum, taking place on Wednesday, 7 September 2022 at the Westin, Melbourne CBD, Victoria.

To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan.kapetanovic@globalii.com.au.

Utilising quant in equity portfolios to improve returns, avoid unintended risk and integrate sustainability

Scott Bennett, Head of Quantitative Investment Solutions, APAC, Northern Trust Asset Management

Scott is responsible for the development and support of the Nothern Trust’s quantitative solutions across both Australian and global equity markets.

Scott shares how he and his team are working with clients to help improve returns, reduce risk and integrate sustainability through a time of heightened inflation and uncertainty, and how investors can navigate their portfolios through this environment to achieve their desired return outcomes in the long-run, in this exclusive interview with Global Investment Institute (GII).

Scott will also be presenting on how to navigate equity portfolios through the current inflationary environment at GII’s upcoming Equities & Growth Assets Investment Forum, taking place on Wednesday, 7 September 2022 at the Westin, Melbourne CBD, Victoria.

To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan.kapetanovic@globalii.com.au.

Spotlight on Aylon Ben-Shlomo, Managing Director, Aristotle Capital Management LLC

“The current period of persistently high inflation in the developed world has presented many institutional investors with an environment not experienced in over 40 years. While certain traditional and alternative asset classes are often identified as inflation hedges, focusing on high-quality businesses can also provide inflation protection.

“While the term “quality” is common in the investment management industry, we would like to explain how we think about quality and how that may determine whether a company will remain high-quality regardless of the macroeconomic or political environment.”

Aylon will be presenting on how to navigate equity portfolios through the current inflationary environment at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Equities & Growth Assets Investment Forum, taking place on Wednesday, 7 September 2022 at the Westin, Melbourne CBD, Victoria.

To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan.kapetanovic@globalii.com.au.

Spotlight on Mark Perry, Managing Director & Head of Alternatives Manager Research, Wilshire

“There is an evolution toward specialisation occurring in the private credit market today – like that which occurred in the private equity market 15 years ago – where specialist managers have emerged to provide capital to areas of the market where competition is scarce and, in doing so, are creating compelling investment opportunities to yield-oriented investors.

Alternative yield strategies, born from the concept of uncorrelated return, delivered as expected through the stress test of the COVID crisis and are poised to generate attractive risk-adjusted yield going forward.”

Mark will be presenting on alternative yield strategies and why they are a compelling source of return and an important tool for risk management in the current, late-cycle environment at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Fixed Income & Defensive Assets Investment Forum, taking place on Thursday, 8 September 2022 at the Westin, Melbourne CBD, Victoria.

To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan.kapetanovic@globalii.com.au.

Spotlight on Meaghan Mahoney, Managing Director & Credit Team Business Leader, Artisan Partners

Meaghan will be presenting on the opportunity set across high yield and the pockets of value emerging in the current, uncertain environment at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Fixed Income & Defensive Assets Investment Forum, taking place on Thursday, 8 September 2022 at the Westin, Melbourne CBD, Victoria.

To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan.kapetanovic@globalii.com.au.

Stuart Birkett, appointed Head of Equities, VFMC

August 2022

GII congratulates Stuart Birkett on his appointment as the Head of Equities at Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC).

VFMC is a public authority responsible for investing AU$75 billion on behalf of Victorians, managing the long-term investments of Victorian State Government entities, comprising of 31 Victorian public authorities and related organisations.

Stuart joins VFMC from industry superannuation fund, HESTA. Most recently, Stuart headed up the management of HESTA’s International Equity and Active currency programs.

He will commence his new role as the Head of Equities on Monday 22 August 2022 and will report to VFMC’s Chief Investment Officer, Russel Clarke.

We wish Stuart all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at VFMC.

GLOBAL INVESTMENT INSIGHTS