Mr Bell brings to the position more than 20 years’ experience in management and public advocacy with organisations including the Australian Bankers’ Association, NRMA, Telstra, Westpac, and Ogilvy PR.

Institute President John Newman said: “David has extensive management, leadership and advocacy experience and appreciates the long-term value the actuarial profession adds in both the private and public sectors and in contributing to public policy debate.”

“He joins the Actuaries Institute at a crucial time when Australia faces uncertainty in a range of areas, such as the financial implications of improving longevity and an ageing population.  The actuarial profession has a significant contribution to make wherever there is uncertainty of future financial outcomes,” Mr Newman said.

Mr Bell joins the Institute from Ogilvy PR Australia where he was Group Managing Director, Corporate. Prior to Ogilvy, Mr Bell spent two years at Westpac as General Manager Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, where he was responsible for the bank’s reputation with key stakeholders. Before that he spent a decade as CEO of the Australian Bankers’ Association, where he worked closely with the Government and industry during the global financial crisis to make sure that the best policy and regulatory settings were in place to ensure the Australian banking system remained strong.

Previously he was Chief of Staff to NSW Minister for Agriculture, Ian Armstrong, and a management consultant with Anderson Consulting.

Commenting on his plans for the Institute, Mr Bell said he looked forward to serving the members by ensuring the expertise of actuaries is brought to bear wherever there is a need and opportunity.

“The Actuaries Institute is already doing a great job representing its members’ interests and Australians continue to see the unique role that actuaries play in corporate life, as well as across society,” he said.

“It’s important going forward that the Institute’s voice is heard on the critical issues which governments are now considering, not the least being the recently announced Financial Services Inquiry and the National Commission of Audit.”

Mr Bell said raising the profile and influence of actuaries will complement and enhance the other key roles of the Institute which are to provide member services and professional development, to oversee actuarial education, and to promote the actuarial profession.

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Alternative investments find mainstream favour with sophisticated retail investors and advisers

Investors tipping into the alternative investments area.

A roundtable of leading Australian and international investors has today ratified growing interest in alternative investment instruments, saying the sophistication of providers has helped overcome historical obstacles.

Today’s ‘new breed’ investment managers – with a transparent focus on must-have liquidity and global capability – is helping to redefine alternatives as prized portfolio tools for retail investors and financial advisers.

“Australian retail investors lag international peers in respect of their asset allocation to alternatives,” said Winston Capital Partners Founding Partner and Managing Director, Andrew Fairweather.

“So we see strong upside potential to bring the best of local experience coupled with a global specialist. This enables us to bring an institutional quality offer with greater liquidity, transparency and access to investments and strategies not currently available to domestic investors,” he said.

The experts, drawn from specialist investment management group Select Investment Partners and its investment adviser Neuberger Berman addressed a special roundtable to map out the parameters for the ‘new alternatives’ approach.

“Select continued its journey to bring deep, institutional quality investment thinking and capability to retail investors earlier this year with the appointment of Neuberger Berman in an advisory role to the Select Alternatives Portfolio,” said Mr Fairweather.

“Today was a unique chance to hear first-hand perspectives from the investment professionals running the fund. It has helped to explain why Select Investment Partners believes alternative investing in Australia has reached a positive tipping point.”

Dominic McCormick, Select’s Chief Investment Officer, said: “Alternative investment offerings to retail investors today not only have to help diversify a portfolio but they also need to be highly liquid, transparent, value for cost and global in scope.  Select and Neuberger Berman are aiming to bring all these elements together in a high quality package”.

Mr Fairweather, whose firm distributes the Select Alternatives Portfolio, said the partnership of Select with Neuberger Berman is an exciting new partnership that brings unique opportunities to Australian investors.

“The Select approach has been to partner with a global brand in Neuberger Berman, while forging a best of breed investment committee including:

• Dominic McCormick, Chief Investment Officer and a founding partner of Select
• David Bell, current member of Select’s Investment Advisory Panel and consultant to Select;
• Thomas Good, former manager in debt and alternatives at the Future Fund, now an Investment Strategist with Select.”

“Select’s core principles of investor focus, investment rigour and original thinking continue to frame its activities in the Australian market,” he said.

“Neuberger Berman delivers Select Investment Partners significantly increased investment research, market leading technology and deep resources with a far broader reach for the Select Alternatives Portfolio.” Mr Fairweather concluded.

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