Global X ETFs announces the hire of Blair Hannon as it nears launch in the Australian market
Global X ETFs, a leading global provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with over US$41 billion in assets under management (AUM)[1] , has announced the appointment of Blair Hannon as Head of Investment Strategy, Australia to support the development of the firm’s local ETF business.
The appointment of Mr. Hannon marks a major step in building Global X’s presence in Australia, ahead of the firm’s formal launch of its Australian ETF product lineup – expected later this year.
Mr. Hannon most recently served as NSW State Manager at BlackRock, where he spent the past four years driving ETF adoption. His key focus was the investment advice market segment of brokers and private bankers, providing market analysis linked to trade ideas, educational content and thought leadership. Prior to working at BlackRock, Hannon spent 12 years at Commonwealth Bank, where he was a Senior Investment Adviser offering investment advice to high and ultra-high net wealth clients on equities, derivatives and funds. He has a Bachelor of Finance from Newcastle University, an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales and an Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning.
“I am excited to be joining Global X as Head of Investment Strategy, Australia, at a thrilling time in the company’s development within the Australian market,” says Mr. Hannon. “Global X has an impressive range of quality financial products, particularly thematic and income ETFs, and I look forward to working with clients to draw on those resources to build their portfolios in today’s dynamic environment.”
Kris Walesby, Head of Global X in Australia, welcomed Hannon, commenting: “We are excited to have an experienced investment expert join our team in Sydney. As we get ready to launch a wide range of ETFs in Australia, Blair will work closely with the research, marketing and sales teams to facilitate understanding and trust in our funds. Given his vast knowledge of the Australian investor landscape, he will be instrumental in consumer adoption of Global X’s ETF lineup in Australia.
“The addition of Mr. Hannon represents Global X’s strong commitment to building a presence in Australia to offer local investors access to its innovative product lineup.”
Global X has established itself as the global leader in thematic investing, with more than 30 Thematic Growth ETF strategies offered across the US, Europe and Asia, representing over US$20 billion in AUM.[2] Global X’s Thematic Growth ETFs bring investors access to a broad set of companies around the world with pure-play exposure to paradigm-shifting themes that reflect long-term, structural trends across geographies and across sectors.
While Global X is a pioneer in thematic investing, the firm also offers an impressive lineup of word-class ETFs spanning Income, International Access, Commodity and Risk Management solutions.
Over the past several years, Global X has worked to develop the infrastructure to be a leading ETF issuer, not just in the US, but in key global ETF markets.
“Global X is one of the most trusted and admired ETF brands in the world as shown by the confidence of more than a million clients in 95 different countries,” said Luis Berruga, CEO of Global X ETFs. “Blair is joining Global X alongside Kris Walesby at a key moment in the firm’s Australian expansion, and I am thrilled to be able to offer our growing product lineup to investors in the Australian market in the near-term.”
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