High conviction Australian equities manager, Altair Asset Management, today announced a series of appointments to its team of Australian equities experts.

Altair’s philosophy is to only invest in a focused portfolio of Australian equities. “Historically, Australian equities have proven to be the most reliable asset class over the long term,” said Managing Director Philip Parker.

“Altair is focused on active management of investment strategies and client portfolios. The ability to be nimble, confident and responsive is the key to active management.

Launched last month, Altair is headed by Mr Parker, whose career in investment markets spans funds management, dealing and advising.

The latest appointments join a team of experienced investment professionals. Head of Research and Process, David Langford, was formerly Head of Research at ING Investment Management and has also held senior roles at a number of top tier global investment banks; while Chief Economic Advisor, Stephen Roberts, who was most recently Nomura’s Chief Economist in Australia, has a career spanning almost 40 years with extensive experience in banking, broking and funds management.

The team also includes Portfolio Manager and Analyst Tim Riordan; and Mathew Longworth, a geologist and Senior Consultant Analyst for resources companies.

The new appointments announced today are:

Alvin Chan – Portfolio Manager/Analyst

Mr Chan is responsible for research across various industrial-related sectors, and will also be assisting in managing Altair’s equity income and concentrated equity strategies.   Mr Chan brings broad-based industry and analytical experience, most recently from AMP Capital, where he was a Portfolio Manager and Analyst in the Capital team.

Cindy Liu – Senior Quantitative Analyst

Ms Liu is responsible for quantitative analysis and developing the team’s quant techniques.  She specialises in Australian equity systems for asset management.  She was previously a Quantitative Analyst at ING Investment Management.

Daniel Stein – Associate Analyst

Mr Stein is responsible for financial modelling, analysis and equity research. He was most recently an Analyst in the Corporate Finance team at Wilson HTM.

Toby Bellingham – Equities Trader

Mr Bellingham is responsible for Altair’s trading and related execution functions.  He is an experienced equities trader, and most recently worked at Invesco and Schroders Investment Management in Sydney.

“Actively managing an equities portfolio demands rapid, informed decisions,” Mr Parker said. “To do this you need a team that is experienced in a wide range of aspects of the Australian equities market, to provide the perspective and insight to make those decisions confidently.”

“We’re extremely pleased that we’ve been able to form such a talented, highly-skilled group of investment professionals.

“David comes with extensive experience and deep networks in the equity market and corporate Australia, which is complemented by the analytical insights and abilities of Alvin, Cindy and Daniel. This greatly enhances our research process, because access to market participants is crucial to understanding a company’s true value.

“We’re also delighted to have on board one of the most experienced and respected members of the Australian investment community in Stephen. “The team will certainly benefit greatly from his expertise, and we’re confident each of these appointments gives Altair an experienced team that will help us deliver institutional rigour with a personal approach,” Mr Parker concluded.

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Phillip Parker

Altair Asset Management (Altair) today announced the launch of its Australian equities business. Altair is a high conviction fund manager offering investment options designed to meet the financial needs of clients at different life stages.

The Altair investment philosophy is based on understanding a range of “change factors” and how they might impact a company or industry, says Altair’s Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, Philip Parker.

“We believe that understanding prospective change and the pace at which it is likely to occur permits the capture of investment opportunities.  Possibilities arise from companies that drive or embrace change, in addition to those that may suffer negative impacts,” Mr Parker said.

“The key is being able to recognise when the market has miscalculated the extent or timing of the change and has mispriced its influence.”

Altair uses its industry knowledge and broad networks to filter and assess which companies are most likely to benefit from change.

Altair has assembled a team of experienced investment professionals from various corporate backgrounds, rich in experience and ideas. They include Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Philip Parker; Head of Research and Process David Langford; and Chief Economic Advisor Stephen Roberts.

Mr Parker was a co-founder and principal of Hunter Hall in the early nineties and then established his own private client wealth management business – Parker Asset Management – in 2000.  Altair has evolved from the success of Parker Asset Management, to now offer managed portfolios and managed funds to self managed super funds, adviser dealer groups and institutions as well as the existing clients, comprising individuals and family offices.

Altair’s investment product suite – designed to meet the life stage needs of their clients – includes an Income Strategy focused on delivering income generating outcomes for investors; and its Advantage Strategy, a  concentrated portfolio of actively managed Australian shares.

Mr Parker says the private wealth management success and long term client relationship experience, together with broad institutional investment experience, provides institutional rigour while retaining the personalised wealth service that has been the hallmark of his business for over a decade.

“The combination of private wealth management and an institutional process is unique, and a different skill set to that provided by many smaller fund managers that are formed through break-away teams from large investment houses,” Mr Parker concluded.

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