Andrew Pease

Russell Investments has announced the appointment of Andrew Pease as Head of Investments, Asia-Pacific (APAC), reinforcing the firm’s continued commitment to investment excellence and strong client outcomes across the region.

Pease, who most recently served as Global Chief Investment Strategist and has been a visible voice in global media for more than a decade, brings over 30 years of experience in asset allocation, portfolio strategy, and macroeconomic research. He will relocate from London to Sydney in July, following a multi-week transition and client engagement period in June.

“Andrew is a seasoned investor with a long history at Russell Investments and a deep understanding of global markets,” said Kate El-Hillow, President & Chief Investment Officer. “His appointment reflects our commitment to deepening regional expertise and better aligning our investment platform with client needs across the globe.”

“Our clients across Asia-Pacific increasingly expect access to globally integrated, locally relevant investment solutions,” said Jason Edgar, Head of Asia-Pacific (APAC). “Andrew’s global experience, longstanding client relationships, and deep connection to the region make him ideally positioned to help us deliver on that promise.”

“Andrew’s appointment meaningfully strengthens our investment leadership bench in APAC,” added Jon Eggins, Head of Portfolio Management. “His ability to connect macro insights to portfolio outcomes will directly benefit clients, especially as they navigate an increasingly complex investment landscape.”

In his new role, Pease will lead the investment division in APAC and report to Eggins. He will work closely with local and global teams to deliver innovative, outcome-oriented solutions to clients in the region. His focus will include enhancing the alignment between global research and local portfolio needs, strengthening multi-asset capabilities, and helping clients navigate evolving market challenges with greater precision and insight.

Pease joined Russell Investments in 2006. Prior to serving as Chief Investment Strategist, he held the same role for the Asia-Pacific region. He brings extensive experience as an economist, strategist, fund manager, and former central banker, with previous roles at Macquarie Bank, JPMorgan, Nomura Securities, and the Reserve Bank of Australia.

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Ayesha Parra

Russell Investments has hired Ayesha Parra as Global Head of Alternatives to lead the overall business strategy for the firm’s alternatives platform globally.

Parra, who joined in July, leads a team of alternatives specialists who incorporate private markets into the firm’s solutions business to deliver more efficient diversification, as well as expand the firm’s alternative capabilities. Based in the New York office, Parra also serves as a member of the firm’s Operating Committee.

“Ayesha’s expertise in portfolio management, product development, and distribution strategy will drive our efforts to deliver innovative solutions to clients,” said Kate El-Hillow, President and Chief Investment Officer at Russell Investments. “Her leadership and experience will leverage our network of alternatives specialists to develop solutions that help both institutional and retail investors tap into private market opportunities.”

Russell Investments is well-positioned to help both institutional and retail investors realise the benefits of private market allocations and provides unique access points across a wide spectrum of alternative investments solutions, including infrastructure and credit.​

Prior to joining Russell Investments, Parra spent 19 years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM), where she held several leadership positions across various business units, most recently playing a key role in the General Partner stakes team within the External Investing Group. Earlier in her career at GSAM, Ayesha was a senior Commodity portfolio manager within the Fixed Income Group, with responsibility for the growth and development of the Commodities business, and she managed key client relationships as well as risk across portfolios.

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Klingert comes to Russell Investments with extensive industry experience, with an emphasis on managing global operations and distribution. He has held leadership roles at Morgan Stanley Investment Management and BlackRock. Both El-Hillow and Klingert will serve on Russell Investments’ executive committee and report to Chairman and CEO Michelle Seitz.

“Kate and Kevin join us at a critical time, as asset owners increasingly look to partner with solutions providers that deliver highly customised investment strategies tailored to specific outcomes,” said Seitz. “Although we continue to see significant demand for investment solutions, only one in four asset owners with less than US$10 billion in assets have outsourced their investment activities^[1]. Kate and Kevin will further enable Russell Investments to capture the industry’s growth while leveraging our expansive global franchise to provide a frictionless experience to our clients.”

El-Hillow will work closely with Seitz to build upon Russell Investments’ 85-year commitment to improving people’s financial security. She oversees all aspects of the firm’s investment division, including portfolio management, implementation, and research. During her 17 years at Goldman Sachs, El-Hillow worked in the firm’s New York and London offices in the US$150 billion global Multi-Asset Solutions business. Most recently, she served as Deputy Chief Investment Officer and prior to that, she was a Senior Portfolio Manager for OCIO portfolios and Head of Portfolio Management and Trading. She has wide-ranging experience in portfolio construction, dynamic multi-asset allocation, and risk management. El-Hillow previously spent eight years at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., where she held dual roles as Client Portfolio Manager and Chief Operating Officer in the asset allocation business.

“I am thrilled to lead this exceptional team,” El-Hillow said about her new role. “There are very few firms that offer Russell Investments’ one-stop access to end-to-end investment solutions, proprietary risk management tools, and trading and implementation capabilities. Clients today are grappling with more complex investment problems, and Russell Investments is uniquely positioned to provide holistic solutions that will help them achieve their goals.”

As Russell Investments’ new President, Klingert focuses on day-to-day business execution. He will work alongside Russell Investments seasoned leadership team, overseeing the firm’s sales and support functions. During 10 years at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, he held a variety of senior roles including COO, acting CIO of Fixed Income, and Head of Liquidity and Managed Futures. He developed and expanded Morgan Stanley’s global distribution efforts and led numerous technology and operations upgrades, including the firm’s risk and order management systems. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Klingert spent 15 years at BlackRock. In 1991, he launched BlackRock’s Tax-Exempt Fixed Income business. He also managed the firm’s cash management businesses, worked extensively on new client development, and served on the management committee.

“I’m excited to extend the trajectory of our growing franchise,” said Klingert. “This industry and our segment are both evolving quickly, and I believe we are one of the few firms with the sense of urgency and execution capability needed to continue to exceed client expectations.”

Chief Operating Officer Rick Smirl has accepted a position at another asset management firm. He departed at the end of April, and Klingert now oversees the firm’s operations functions.

Pete Gunning, Russell Investments’ CIO since 2018 and a 25-year veteran of the firm, will take on a new role as Vice Chairman and Strategic Relationships Officer. Reporting directly to Seitz, Gunning is focused on deepening the firm’s relationships with key clients while embracing responsible investing practices. Gunning will also work to ensure that Russell Investments’ global client base can seamlessly leverage the firm’s exceptional open-architecture investment solutions.

According to Seitz, Russell Investments will continue to focus on enhancing its strength in open-architecture investment solutions, as evidenced by the recently announced partnership with private markets investment firm, Hamilton Lane.

“We have seen tremendous demand from institutional investors and wealth managers for customised investment solutions that incorporate public and private markets allocations, innovative new approaches to best-in-class investment and risk solutions, and, increasingly, responsible investment strategies,” said Seitz. “Kate, Kevin, and Pete have decades of experience working directly with the world’s largest and most sophisticated investors, and they will play instrumental roles in helping us amplify and extend our full range of investment solutions and services to a wider range of clients.”

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[1] Source: McKinsey & Company and Cerulli (2020).

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