Nathan joins from Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management Asia where he was Co-Head of Investment Management Services. While at Morgan Stanley, Nathan developed Morgan Stanley’s award winning multi-asset investment approach for both the Australian and Asia wealth management divisions. Nathan started his career in 1995 and has extensive experience in asset management, research and stockbroking that has taken him across Asia, North America, the Middle East and Australia. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Nathan managed Australian Ethical Investment’s International Shares Fund, where he developed a passion for responsible investing.

Commenting on the appointment, Lonsec CEO Mike Wright said “We are delighted that Nathan is joining Lonsec to lead the Investment Solutions business as he brings considerable international expertise in multi-asset strategies and a particular interest in responsible investing.

Nathan joins the business at an exciting time as we continue to grow our expanding managed accounts business. This includes renewing our commitment to partner with quality advice businesses to support them with tailored managed account solutions.”

Nathan echoes these sentiments, saying “I am excited to be joining Lonsec as I have long admired their reputation and commitment to helping clients achieve their financial goals. I look forward to leading a great team of investment professionals and getting back to my responsible investing roots.”

As CIO, Nathan will join the Product and Investment Oversight Committee, Asset Allocation, Manager Selection, Direct Equities and Tailored Portfolio committees, which oversee the Lonsec Investment Solutions portfolios. These committees are a hallmark of the Lonsec portfolio management approach.

Deanne Baker has been appointed to the newly created position of Deputy CIO. Deanne will also continue in her role as Portfolio Manager Multi-Asset Portfolios, managing the multi-asset, retirement and sustainable portfolios. Deanne has been with Lonsec for 15 years, working across both Lonsec Research and Lonsec Investment Solutions. Deanne will be assisted by Eleanor Menniti who rejoins Lonsec as Associate Portfolio Manager, Multi-Asset Portfolios, after five years at BlackRock.

Deanne comments “I am excited to have Nathan join Lonsec as his shared values, investment experience and leadership qualities make him a great fit for our team. I am looking forward to working with him to continue delivering strong outcomes for our clients.

I am equally excited about the return of Eleanor Menniti to the team, bringing with her new skills and insights from a leading global fund manager.”

The Chairman of Lonsec’s Product and Investment Oversight Committee (PIOC), Dr Steve Garth, was also pleased with the new appointments, saying, “We are thrilled to have Nathan join the Lonsec team, and I look forward to working closely with him on the PIOC. We are also very grateful to Deanne Baker for her contribution as interim CIO and her contributions to the PIOC.”

Veronica Klaus will head up the newly named Tailored Solutions business as Head of Tailored Investment Solutions. Assisted by a team of Portfolio Managers, Veronica will lead Lonsec’s renewed focus into bespoke and tailored investment solutions for larger self-licenced Advice firms and large licensees. Veronica has been with Lonsec for 12 years.

Nathan will commence the position of Chief Investment Officer and Executive Director, Lonsec Investment Solutions in August 2023.

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Lukasz will be with the business until mid-June and is working closely with the team to ensure a smooth transition.

In the interim Michael Wright, Lonsec CEO and Managing Director Implemented Portfolios will assume Executive Director responsibilities for Lonsec Investment Solutions.

During this period Lonsec plans to go to market to appoint an Executive Director, Lonsec Investment Solutions and CIO.

Michael has an extensive knowledge of the Lonsec business and investment markets and is extremely well-placed lead the Lonsec Investment Solutions business.

Lonsec’s trusted and experienced team will continue to manage the portfolios.

Lonsec’s managed account portfolio and consulting services continue to be managed by experienced and long-standing members of the Lonsec team who will report to Michael, including:

• Deanne Baker, who has been appointed interim Chief Investment Officer (CIO). Deanne will continue to be the Portfolio Manager Multi-Asset Portfolios, managing the multi-asset, retirement and sustainable portfolios. Deanne has been with Lonsec for 15 years;
• Danial Moradi, Portfolio Manager Listed Portfolios, manages the listed diversified and Australian equities managed account portfolios and has also been with Lonsec for 15 years;
• Veronica Klaus, Head of Investment Consulting who has been with Lonsec for 12 years and leads our investment consulting services including the management of Lonsec’s tailored managed account portfolios; and
• Chris Robertson, Portfolio Manager ESG Aware for Implemented Portfolios (IPL) who has transitioned across with the acquisition of IPL.  Chris has over 30 years’ experience across leading Asset Managers.

They will continue to be supported by the Lonsec Investment Solutions team as well the broader Lonsec business.

Since the inception of Lonsec Investment Solutions, portfolios have been overseen by its Investment Committees. The Committees include its Asset Allocation, Manager Selection, Direct Equities and Tailored Portfolio committees which are all comprised of senior members of the Lonsec Investment Solution and Lonsec Research teams, as well as independent investment experts.

Deanne will chair the Lonsec Investment Solutions Asset Allocation Investment Committee as well join the IPL Asset Allocation Investment Committee as a member.

The IPL portfolios will continue to be overseen by IPL’s Asset Allocation Investment Committee chaired independently by Paul Dortkamp. Tim Farrelly, from Farrelly’s Investment Strategy, also continues to be a member of the IPL AAIC, which he and Paul have served on continuously since the inception of IPL in 2010. Lonsec is also expanding this committee with the additions of Deanne Baker (as mentioned above), Chris Robertson and Nick Field who has recently been promoted to the role of Portfolio Manager, IPL Portfolios. Nick has extensive investment research and portfolio management experience.

Finally, we have bolstered our internal portfolio governance framework with the establishment of a group Product Investment Oversight Committee (PIOC).

The PIOC is a sub board committee to the Lonsec Board and is responsible for ensuring that the IPL and Lonsec portfolios have the necessary personnel, processes and risk management frameworks in place.

The investment governance role that the PIOC discharges is important to Lonsec and our clients. The PIOC ensures that all the portfolios within the Lonsec Group remain managed in accordance with their stated mandates, objectives and have the right resources and capabilities to execute on their investment strategies.

Dr Steve Garth is the independent chair of the PIOC and he has extensive experience in asset management and investment governance.

Lukasz has made a significant contribution to the company having led Lonsec’s Investment Consulting services and establishing and building the Lonsec Investment Solutions business.

Mike Wright says, “Lukasz has made an outstanding contribution to Lonsec and the industry, establishing our strong investment consulting and managed account capabilities.  As Group CIO, Lukasz has overseen the various investment committees used to make medium-term investment decisions based on a clearly defined, common sense research-based investment philosophy.”

“We wish Lukasz all the best with the next exciting stage of his career at a leading global l asset manager and can assure all investors that the team remain absolutely committed to continuing the great work” concludes Mike.

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Veronica Klaus

Lonsec Research is excited to announce the inclusion of Challenger as a new member of the Lonsec Retire Industry Panel, joining existing members AB, BT, Invesco Australia, Investors Mutual Limited, Plato, and State Street Global Advisers.

The purpose of the Industry Panel is to bring together the leading experts of the retirement industry to provide financial advisers with a leading source of insights to enhance retirement advice and solutions.

“The Industry Panel already includes some illustrious names, but with the inclusion of Challenger, financial advisers are now getting access to an even deeper and diverse source of ideas,” said Veronica Klaus, General Manager of Investment Consulting at Lonsec Research.

“We wanted to bring together the wisest heads we could find from the retirement industry, both in Australia and around the world. The aim is to provide a single source of expert analysis and insights on the key retirement issues facing investors, and Challenger will be a key voice given their experience and position in the market.”

The Industry Panel is an initiative of Lonsec Retire – a collaboration between Lonsec and global actuary Milliman, leveraging the combined financial intelligence and investment expertise of both organisations.

“More than ever, Lonsec Retire is focused on the practical applications of retirement insights and how financial advisers can use these to create implementable solutions,” said Ms Klaus. “This will be the major theme of our upcoming Retirement Symposium event in August.”

“The global presence and expertise offered by our partners provides financial advisers and other decision makers with a deeper understanding of the key trends and challenges relating to retirement. We have a panel of diverse yet equally outstanding partners who will continue to provide real value to the advice industry.”

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Veronica Klaus

Lonsec Investment Consulting, a division of Lonsec Research Pty Ltd, yesterday announced exciting new additions to its Lonsec Retire Industry Panel, providing financial advisers and their clients with a global perspective on retirement strategies from the biggest industry names.

AB Global, Invesco Australia, Investors Mutual Limited, and State Street Global Advisers will join the Lonsec Retire Industry Panel, bringing with them a wealth of insight and knowledge from Australia and around the world. This will give financial advisers access to expert views and analysis on the key retirement issues facing investors, informed by developments in key global markets, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

“We are very pleased to welcome our new members to the Lonsec Retire Industry Panel,” said Veronica Klaus, General Manager of Investment Consulting at Lonsec. “The global presence and expertise offered by our partners will provide advisers and other decision makers with a deeper understanding of the key trends and challenges relating to retirement.”

Lonsec Retire is a collaboration between Lonsec and Milliman, leveraging the combined financial intelligence and investment expertise of both organisations. Along with its four new partners, Lonsec continues its long-running partnership with existing panellists BT Investment Management, Colonial First State Investments, Macquarie Investment Management, and Plato Investment Management.

“We pride ourselves on our ability to provide innovative yet practical solutions for retirement planners, and the Industry Panel is a crucial part of that,” said Ms Klaus. “We have a panel of diverse yet equally outstanding partners who will continue to provide real value to the advice industry.”

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In response to these trends Lonsec Fiscal has announced the creation of a new business division – Lonsec Investment Solutions – bringing together Lonsec’s broad investment research capability and established portfolio construction experience to deliver packaged investment solutions for financial advisers and their clients.

Lonsec’s Lukasz de Pourbaix has been appointed CIO of Lonsec Investment Solutions. He will work closely with the firm’s Investment Consulting team to deliver practical investment solutions for financial advisers.

Mr de Pourbaix said the post FoFA environment had seen the regulatory and administrative burden on financial advisers increase significantly.

At the same time, the market has witnessed an explosion in listed products such as ETFs, SMAs and LICs, driven by an increased desire from investors to hold their investments directly as well as significant growth in managed fund products. This trend is only likely to accelerate.

“Investment Solutions aims to address these dual challenges by bringing together Lonsec’s established broad listed and unlisted investment research as well as our proven portfolio construction capabilities. Importantly, Lonsec is not issuing financial products, we are enabling our portfolio capabilities to be accessed in a more efficient manner,” Mr de Pourbaix said.

With Mr de Pourbaix moving into the role of CIO, Investment Solutions, Veronica Klaus has been promoted to General Manager of Investment Consulting.

Ms Klaus has been a senior member of Lonsec’s Investment Consulting team for over four years and has close to 20 years’ research and investment consulting experience.

To further support the establishment of Investment Solutions and bolster its Investment Consulting offer, Lonsec has strengthened its internal investment committees with the appointment of an independent, external expert.

Former Head of Investment Strategy & Research at Advance Asset Management, Felix Stephen, will join Lonsec’s Asset Allocation and Direct Equities Investment Committees.

Mr de Pourbaix said: “We are pleased to have someone of the experience and calibre of Mr Stephen join our investment committees as an independent member. He will contribute broader macro-economic insights and further strengthen our committee process.”

The committee structure provides oversight to Lonsec’s asset allocation decisions and fund manager and security selection process.

A first priority of Lonsec Investment Solutions will be to look at ways to broaden its suite of Managed Portfolios – through both increasing the number of managed account platforms its managed fund and listed model portfolios are available on, as well as exploring new portfolio solutions incorporating additional investment vehicles such as mFunds, LICs and ETFs.

“Combining these product benefits with Lonsec’s research and portfolio construction expertise, and making them available to more financial advisers through more platforms, is one practical example of how Lonsec Investment Solutions, can bring together Lonsec’s broad expertise to deliver real outcomes for financial advisers and their clients.”

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Anh Nguyen was appointed to the newly created role of Quantitative Analyst and is responsible for providing quantitative research, including the development of models and tools to assist the research process.

Amanda Gillespie, General Manager Research for Lonsec commented, “Anh’s experience in quantitative analysis is a positive addition to the team. Her strong technical knowledge will enhance the research process and will assist in the deployment of quantitative tools for the use of Lonsec’s clients.”

“Anh is an active researcher whose works have been published in a number of peer-reviewed academic journals.”

Prior to Lonsec, Anh worked in quantitative research at the Royal Bank of Scotland and before that, Deloitte. She graduated with first class honours in Banking and Financial from Monash University and is currently pursuing her PhD in Financial at the University of New South Wales.

As announced last week, Richard Everingham returned to Lonsec in November, also in a newly created role – Manager – Research Strategy. In this role, Richard is charged with developing and implementing a strategic framework for the evolution of the Lonsec research offering.

“This role has been created in response to the rapidly changing investment and regulatory environment, to ensure Lonsec continues to provide relevant research services to its clients,” said Gillespie.

Veronica Klaus also joined Lonsec in November, as a senior member of the Investment Consulting team. She will work closely with Head of Investment Consulting, Lukasz de Pourbaix, and the broader Investment Consulting team to provide portfolio construction advice and deliver tailored consulting services to Lonsec’s research clients.

Veronica is an investment specialist with over 17 years industry experience and a strong background in investment consulting, fund manager research and analysis, as well as multi manager portfolio construction and management. Veronica’s background includes a number of years at CPG Research & Advisory, Standard & Poor’s Investment Consulting Division and time as a research analyst at Bridges Financial Services.

Lukasz de Pourbaix, Head of Lonsec’s Investment Consulting team commented, “Veronica’s extensive experience within the institutional and retail space will be invaluable in assisting our clients in developing investment strategies; her hire further bolsters the depth and breadth of Lonsec’ s Investment Consulting division.” 

Finally, Adrian Hoe has joined Lonsec’s research team as an Investment Analyst, with responsibility for undertaking managed funds research across a range of sectors. Adrian joins Lonsec from IOOF where he was a Research Analyst for three years, responsible for researching managed funds and providing investment consulting services.

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