Andrew Alcock

HUB24 (ASX:HUB) and Challenger Limited (CGF:ASX) has announced they are working together to provide Challenger annuities to advisers and clients on the market-leading HUB24 platform.

Challenger annuities will be available to advisers and their clients on HUB24 via the innovative technology of ConnectHUB – a collaboration between HUB24 and their subsidiary Agility Applications.

ConnectHUB allows product solutions to be rapidly and seamlessly integrated and provides advisers and their clients with a complete view of their portfolio. Advisers will be able to purchase annuities for their clients as they would any other investment on HUB24.

The teams at Challenger and HUB24 are now working together to build the solution.

Andrew Alcock, Managing Director of HUB24, said: “We are committed to continually enhancing our platform and providing choice for our advisers and their clients.

“We’re delighted to be working with the team at Challenger who are well-known for providing market-leading retirement solutions to deliver their products to our rapidly growing client base.”

Challenger Chief Executive Officer Brian Benari said: “HUB24 is one of the fastest growing platforms in the market and is recognised for its innovation and customer focused approach.

“This relationship further demonstrates superannuation industry leaders moving to meet the needs of retirees as lifetime income stream products become a mainstream option in retirement.”

Challenger is an investment management company that is focused on providing customers with financial security for retirement. It is Australia’s largest provider of annuities.

The post Challenger and HUB24 join forces for annuities on platform appeared first on AdviserVoice.

He replaces Ben Heap, who recently resigned as managing director of UBS Global Asset Management (Australia) to become chief executive officer of Australasian Wealth Investments.

Mr Benari has many years’ experience in the financial services industry including executive roles with JP Morgan, Bankers Trust and Macquarie Bank, before joining Challenger in 2003.

He was founding chief executive of Challenger’s Mortgage Management division, which grew to become one of Australia’s largest non-bank mortgage lenders.

In 2008, Mr Benari became Challenger’s first joint Group CFO/ Group COO, with oversight of the company’s Treasury, Finance, Legal, Tax, Compliance, Information Technology, Investor and Government Relations functions. He was appointed managing director and chief executive officer in February 2012.

Greg Cooper, chairman of the Financial Services Council said: “Brian’s experience across a broad spectrum of institutional and retail financial services is welcomed by the FSC board.”

“This will be particularly important when the financial services industry undergoes its review under the new government,” Mr Cooper said.

The Financial Services Council board now includes:

• Chairman: Greg Cooper – CEO, Schroder Investment Management Australia Limited
• Deputy Chairmen: Craig Meller – MD, AMP Financial Services Limited and Brad Cooper – CEO, BT Financial Group;
• Directors: Brian Benari −MD and CEO, Challenger Limited; David Bryant: − CEO & CIO of Australian Unity Investments; Robin Burns – MD, Equity Trustees Limited; Andrew Hagger – group executive, AB ealth and CEO MLC Limited; ohn ames – MD and Chairman of anguard investments; Brett ollie – MD, Aberdeen Asset Management Australia Limited; Marc Lieberman CEO, Metlife Australia; Geoff Lloyd –CEO and MD, Perpetual Limited; Annabel Spring – Group Executive, Wealth Management, Commonwealth Bank of Australia; Geoff Summerhayes – CEO Suncorp Life; and, Maria Wilton – MD, Franklin Templeton Investments Australia Ltd.

The post Challenger CEO joins FSC board appeared first on AdviserVoice.