Chris Briant
PGIM, the US$1.22 trillion global investment management business of US-based Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) has appointed Chris Briant as head of the Institutional Relationship Group (IRG) for Australia and New Zealand, underscoring its commitment to the Australian market. Briant will be responsible for deepening PGIM’s institutional client coverage in support of its growth ambitions in the region.
As a strategic advisor to chief investment officers of the largest institutional investors in Australia and New Zealand, Briant will help address PGIM clients’ portfolio challenges by leveraging the firm’s multi-affiliate investment capabilities across public and private markets. He reports to Cameron Lochhead, global head of IRG.
Briant was most recently managing director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, having joined its subsidiary Parametric Portfolio Associates as Parametric’s first Australasian CEO in 2013 to lead the buildout of its business, client and product growth. Prior to that, he held senior roles in investments implementation and business development at Russell Investments, BNP Paribas, and BT Portfolio Services.
“The appointment of Chris reiterates our long-term commitment to the Australian market,” said Lochhead. “Chris brings over three decades of expertise in the Australasian investment industry. As an experienced leader he has an impressive track record in growing businesses and strong relationships with a range of sophisticated asset owners. He will play a strategic role in expanding our institutional investor base in the region and architecting access to PGIM’s full suite of affiliate strategies and solutions.”
PGIM has built a strong footprint in Australia since 2011, supporting a growing network of institutional clients who seek diversified long-term investment solutions across the traditional and alternative asset classes. With a proven track record in private alternative investments, the firm has been managing multibillion-dollar client mandates on the ground, including Australian real estate equity and debt strategies via PGIM Real Estate, and providing debt financing to domestic corporations through PGIM Private Capital.
Briant said, “Very few managers rival PGIM’s scale, breadth and quality across public and private markets. I’m thrilled to be joining PGIM at a time when asset owners are rationalising their manager lineups to form fewer, deeper partnerships, and be part of its growth journey. I look forward to delivering our extensive capabilities to help asset owners solve their investment challenges, and ultimately improve the retirement outcomes for Australasians.”