Andrew Landman

BlackRock has appointed Andrew Landman Head of Australasia. He succeeds Dominik Rohé, who takes over as Head of the Latin America region.

Mr Landman takes up his new post in June, while continuing to play his existing role as Head of Asia Pacific Client Business. He will return to Sydney from Hong Kong once his client business responsibilities have been transitioned to a successor. Mr Landman will continue reporting to Geraldine Buckingham, BlackRock’s Chair and Head of Asia Pacific.

Ms Buckingham said: “Dominik has led the business successfully through industry and market transformation over the last three years. He has worked closely with his leadership team to strengthen the local team and broaden relationships with key clients, who have been served with more diverse and technology-led solutions.”

She added: “Andrew’s in-depth local and regional experience, as well as his global connectivity with clients and partners, will help position BlackRock to continue growing its business, while helping clients navigate an increasingly more complex world. I look forward to working with Andrew to bring about even greater client engagement and serve them with a differentiated investment experience.”

Mr Landman said: “I am delighted to be returning to Australia, capitalising on my regional experience and partnering with colleagues to advise investors and institutions on holistic investment strategies, as they address new market realities.”

He has served BlackRock for the last six years, first leading the alternatives distribution business in Sydney, before moving to Hong Kong to lead distribution efforts throughout Asia Pacific. Prior to joining BlackRock in Australia in 2012, Mr Landman played leadership, client and financial roles. These included the post of CEO at Ascalon Capital Managers, a subsidiary of BT Financial Group, plus roles with BT Financial Group, Challenger Funds Management and Bankers Trust.

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Applying the MSCI’s SRI index methodology, the fund excludes tobacco, alcohol, gambling, military weapons, civilian firearms, nuclear power, adult entertainment, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and fossil fuel reserves. Issuer weights are then tilted based on the current MSCI ESG Rating, as well as its MSCI ESG Rating momentum. This is the first indexed ESG Australian bond fund in the market.  It is also the first indexed ESG fund with a dedicated Australian ESG benchmark.

The fund is managed by Craig Vardy, Head of Fixed Income at BlackRock Australia, and the wider Australian fixed income team. Craig Vardy said: “We have reached an inflection point in sustainable investing. ESG has come to the forefront and can be implemented broadly across most asset classes without foregoing risk-adjusted returns.

“The ESG-focused Australian Bond Index fund is a passive investment strategy designed for ESG-aware investors seeking a core fixed income exposure to Australian-dollar securities. From a fee perspective, investors can now invest sustainably at the same low fee as non-ESG fixed income passive solutions. We believe investors can future-proof portfolios by considering sustainable investment alternatives.

The fund was developed in partnership with and has been seeded by VicSuper, a A$21 billion superannuation fund, reiterating Australian investors’ growing demand for improved ESG outcomes.

An analysis of the past five years return history shows that investors would have experienced a very similar return and risk outcome from investing in our custom ESG Index compared to the standard parent index.

Dominik Rohe, Managing Director and Head of BlackRock, Australasia, said: “Our goal is to be at the forefront of sustainable investing solutions for Australasian investors. As a fiduciary to our clients, we dedicate ourselves to protecting and growing the value of our clients’ assets, and we believe business-relevant sustainability factors can contribute to a company’s long-term financial performance.

“Sustainable investing is going mainstream with the support of improved data and technology, including new portfolio analytics, transparent ESG data, and model portfolios. The launch of our ESGABI fund reflects the growing demand from our clients for sustainable investing solutions.”

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Taking on a newly expanded role, Jason Collins becomes Head of Client Business partnering with Head of iShares Jon Howie and James Crozier, representing BlackRock Solutions. Together, they will develop outcome-focused strategies that will serve the firm’s clients in Australia to better effect.

Dominik Rohe, Country Head for BlackRock Australia, said yesterday’s announcement reflects an evolution of the market in Australia, consistent with global trends.

Mr. Rohe said: “Regulatory reform, advances in portfolio risk and compliance technology – as well as developments in advice and retirement solutions – have blurred the line between Australia’s institutional and wealth sectors. This creates enormous opportunities for the superannuation and advice industry.”

He added: “A foundation of risk and investment management positions BlackRock well to work with institutional clients and wealth practices alike, as they strive to meet regulatory guidelines, cope with a lower-return environment and help their clients achieve long term goals. Jason has led a successful institutional business over the past three-and-a-half years, and his experience in the wealth sector positions him well to manage BlackRock’s distribution efforts, while building long-lasting and impactful partnerships with our Australian client base.”

BlackRock’s client business also benefits from a number of appointments, which become effective over the next month or so. Paula Gigler from Vanguard, joins BlackRock in iShares as a Vice President covering private banks and brokers, while James Stewart joins as an Associate from FIIG Securities to cover iShares in New South Wales and Queensland. Dan Annan, Vice President, relocates from San Francisco to join the iShares fixed income distribution team, and Stuart Anderson, Director, relocates from London to join the Transition Management and Market Structure team. Dylan Wedande joins from Rothschild Wealth Management UK to work as an associate in the Melbourne institutional team, while Jackson Lee joins from BT Financial Group as an analyst in the research house relations team.

Jason Collins said: “Bringing together the institutional and retail distribution teams will allow us to explore synergies between the two disciplines and think through new ways of serving our clients in Australia. Meanwhile, we are delighted to welcome new colleagues to our growing client business and look forward to making yet more appointments over coming months.”

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Reporting to BlackRock Asia Pacific Chairman Ryan Stork, Mr Rohe is responsible for developing and executing growth initiatives in Australia, and will join the firm’s Global Operating and Asia Pacific Executive Committees.

He succeeds Justin Arter, who relocated to London after four years leading the team, to head up the firm’s Institutional Client Business in the UK, Middle East and Africa.

Mr Rohe has been serving BlackRock in the US, UK, Germany and Latin America for the last 10-plus years. His most recent post was leading institutional and wealth lines of business in the firm’s Latin America & Iberia region. This four-year tenure generated valuable sector, client and product experience relevant to the Australian role.

Mr Stork commented: “Australia is home to the world’s fourth largest pension market, and Dominik’s experience leading high-growth businesses in Latin America & Iberia will be a great asset to us. His appointment adds impetus to our efforts in delivering tailored investment solutions and risk management advisory to a diverse local client base.”

Mr Rohe said: “Demand for wealth creation and management solutions – retirement funding in particular – is a high priority for many of our clients in Australia. I am delighted to be joining the team today and look forward to capitalizing on opportunities alongside my new colleagues in this evolving market.” 

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