Ron Mehmet, currently Head of Fixed Income Research at Lonsec Research will move to LIS as a Senior Consultant, to work with consulting clients and support Deanne Baker, Multi Asset Portfolio Manager, with portfolio management. Ron brings a wealth of fixed interest experience and broader portfolio construction skills which will add immensely to LIS’s capabilities.

Nicolas Ward is also joining LIS as a Senior Consultant. Nick joins from Quilla, the specialist managed portfolio manager, and brings a strong understanding of managed accounts, having worked closely with advisory firms in running bespoke managed account solutions. Prior to Quilla, Nick worked as NAB/MLC’s Private Investment Consulting (PIC) division, providing consulting services to the NAB aligned adviser network.

Amber Sunil will be joining LIS from Lonsec Research as an Investment Consultant. Amber will work closely with LIS Senior Consultants to service clients, as well as supporting the client reporting and managed account operational functions. Amber has a depth of product knowledge notably within global equities, which will be valuable to LIS’s portfolio construction process.

These three appointments bolster LIS’s managed accounts capabilities, which has seen significant expansion over the past six months.  Inflows hit a record, exceeding $200m in February and bespoke managed portfolios have recently launched with CFS and Count.  The LIS appointments follow the recent expansion of the Sales Team with dedicated Practice Transformation consultants.

CIO and Executive Director, Lukas de Pourbaix, says “I am pleased to welcome Ron, Nicolas and Amber to the LIS team, and it is testament to the high quality individuals within the broader Lonsec group that two of the three candidates have come from Lonsec Research”.

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With the launch of its new sustainability research, which includes an initial coverage of eleven funds, along with a pipeline of technology improvements and usability enhancements planned for its market leading iRate platform, Lonsec says there is still a need for new talent.

“The role of investment research is critical, especially given the challenges we’re seeing in the market at the moment,” said Lorraine Robinson, Executive Director of Lonsec Research.

“We’re committed to continually improving and re-imagining research, and this means we need the resources to stay ahead of the curve and give financial advisers the tools they need to deliver for their clients.”

Recently, Lonsec has made two senior hires in its research team to deepen its expertise and support broader growth across the business.

Ron Mehmet has joined Lonsec as a Senior Investment Analyst in the fixed income team, having previously held the roles of Investment Specialist at Perpetual and Head of Sector Portfolio Management at BT Investment Solutions. Ron brings his experience as a portfolio manager responsible for over $30 billion in funds under management and extensive knowledge of fixed income and defensive strategies.

Sebastian Lander joins Lonsec as a Senior Investment Analyst in the multi-asset team having held roles as Portfolio Manager with Julliard Financial Services and Senior Investment Analyst with Select Investment Partners.

“We’re very excited to welcome Ron and Sebastian,” said Lonsec Research Executive Director Lorraine Robinson. “Their portfolio management experience not only adds to our capabilities but also builds on the range of skills and perspectives within the research team.”

Lonsec said recent recruitment was part of a broader alignment that will help the business further develop its research offering.

“The ongoing development in our team means we’re able to focus on the delivery of new services so advisers can access better research that lets them do more,” said Ms Robinson.

“Our sustainability research is a great example of how Lonsec is raising the bar for transparency and greater depth in research, and we want to keep bringing these new initiatives to advisers.”

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Ron joins Perpetual with more than 30 years’ experience in financial services, including six years in his previous role with BT Funds Group, where he was responsible for managing the Investment Solutions multi-manager investment process.

Ron will work closely with Perpetual Investments’ Credit and Fixed Income team, providing technical expertise on the broad range of investment capabilities the business offers and provide input to the development of product strategy for Perpetual Investments.

Adam Curtis, Head of Investment Specialists, said Mr Mehmet’s expertise and experience will be invaluable to the business.

“The Investment Specialists team plays a crucial role in providing the business with technical and analytical support that helps service the needs of our clients and potential clients.

“Ron brings a wealth of experience which will strengthen our offering to the market and ensure we are well positioned to achieve future growth.”

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• Tim Rocks has been appointed to the position of Head of Market Research and Strategy, joining BTIS from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).
• Ron Mehmet has been promoted to Head of Sector Portfolio Management, having joined Advance Asset Management in 2010 as Portfolio Manager, Defensive Assets.

Tim Rocks, Head of Market Research and Strategy

Tim brings a wealth of Australian and global experience to the investment strategy capability of the Group. He has a deep understanding of the implications of macro-economic developments and a proven track record identifying key market themes and drivers when forecasting risk and return scenarios. Other responsibilities will include structuring broader market research, managing the research team and being a key member of the BTIS investment leadership team.

Patrick Farrell, BTFG’s Chief Investment Officer said the appointment of Tim Rocks was an exciting new phase in the development of the investment team.

“We are delighted to have Tim join our team. His background providing sell side research will be instrumental for formulating our investment strategy and providing key research to our clients. Tim’s appointment aligns perfectly with BT’s decision to create a centre of investment excellence to benefit clients,” said Mr Farrell.

Tim joins BTFG from CBA where he was Head of Australian Investment Strategy, conducting research on macro-economic themes and drawing out conclusions for the Australian market. Tim has also held investment strategy roles with Macquarie in Hong Kong and Australia, and was previously an economist with the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Tim will commence his role on Monday, 29 June 2015.

Ron Mehmet, Head of Sector Portfolio Management

Ron joined Advance Asset Management in 2010 as Portfolio Manager, Defensive Assets, bringing with him over 25 years’ investment experience across investments, lending, mergers and acquisitions, and financial markets (including money markets, foreign exchange, futures and stock broking).

In his new role, Ron will have the responsibility for managing the multi-manager process, including sector portfolio performance, enhancing investment fund manager research capability, and overseeing the blending and monitoring process.

Mr Farrell said he is excited about the opportunities this new role brings to the team.

“Ron has demonstrated all the attributes needed for this role and will guide the portfolio management team – enhancing the framework and sourcing new opportunities in the market. Ron’s breadth of experience at Advance and in previous roles, will help drive these outcomes, as well as bolster the framework needed to have increased transparency and governance in this highly regulated environment,” said Mr Farrell.

Prior to joining BTFG in 2010 Mr Mehmet held senior roles in financial markets at CBA and at ING Investment Management – Multi Strategies Group he was responsible for multi-manager portfolios, specifically Australian and International fixed interest, enhanced cash, and Australian and international property securities trust portfolios.

Ron moved into his new role on 1 May 2015 and recruitment for his previous position Portfolio Manager, Defensive Assets is underway.

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