Chris Cuffe
“Family, friends and business colleagues are constantly asking me whether I can assist them with investing, so I thought I might as well do it properly,” says well known Australian funds management executive Chris Cuffe.
Mr Cuffe has recently taken over the full management and ownership of the Partners Horizon Fund, a fund now offered to Australian wholesale investors that he has been jointly managing privately for another family over the past three years.
“This fund was created three years ago and it has performed well through recent volatility. I’ve now been convinced to take over the full management rights and selectively open it to other local investors.”
The multi-asset fund adopts a balanced growth strategy combined with what Mr Cuffe describes as “very active” management.
It has generated returns of more than 10 per cent per annum over the past three years. The recommended minimum investment horizon is also three years.
“I wanted a ‘sleep at night’ fund that I would be comfortable investing my own family’s money in,” he says. “As a result, I’ve brought together some of the best ideas I’ve seen over the past four decades from my experience.”
The multi asset fund currently holds around 40 investments across listed Australian and global equities, private equity, venture capital, private credit and property.
The fund, which is currently approximately $20 million in size, is expected to be capped at $100 million. The minimum investment is $250,000.
The management fee is 0.5 per cent per annum and will be capped at a set dollar amount, a potential first in this industry. There is no performance fee. The underlying funds invested in have their own management/performance fees.
Addressing transparency concerns, Mr Cuffe said the portfolio is predominantly invested locally. “I like to be able to eyeball the person running the money,” he said. “Investors need to understand the people, the process and the investments.”
Mr Cuffe is the founding director and portfolio manager of the Third Link Growth Fund and a member of the investment committees of several ultra-high net worth families. He is also founder and portfolio manager of the Australian Philanthropic Services Foundation and chairman of listed Hearts and Minds Investments Ltd.
The Third Link Growth Fund is a unique Australian equities fund-of funds, designed to deliver competitive long-term returns while simultaneously supporting impactful charitable outcomes. What truly sets the Fund apart is its structure. No performance fees are charged, either by its underlying fund managers or at the Fund level, resulting in materially lower costs for investors and, over time, stronger net returns. Importantly, the management fees incurred by investors, post expenses, are donated to charity, enhancing the Fund’s positive impact.
Chris has many years of experience in building successful wealth management practices, most notably at Colonial First State which he joined in 1988. He was instrumental in taking the company from a start-up operation to become Australia’s largest investment manager during his fourteen-year tenure. Chris then joined Challenger Financial Services Group in early 2003 as Chief Executive Officer.
Chris is now involved in a portfolio of activities including several directorships, investment committees and in various roles assisting the not-for-profit sector. These include:
- Chairman of Hearts and Minds Investments Limited and non-executive director of Global Value Fund Limited and Argo Investments Limited (investment companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange)
- Investment Committee member of the Paul Ramsay Foundation
- Non-executive director of Keyview Financial Group, a private debt company, and
- Founding director and portfolio manager of Third Link Growth Fund (a managed investment scheme investing in Australian shares where the management fees received are donated to charity).
