Vishal will build and broaden ASI’s relationships with key institutional investors in Australia and New Zealand, including superannuation funds and insurance companies, and help deliver tailored solutions to meet their long-term investment objectives. He reports jointly to Andrew Hendry, Head of Distribution – Asia Pacific and Brett Jollie, Managing Director – Australia.

Vishal has over 15 years’ institutional sales and relationship management experience in asset management and investment consulting in Sydney and London. He joins ASI from investment consultant bfinance, where he supported institutional investors with investment implementation. Vishal worked previously in institutional business development and consultant relations roles with M&G Investments, Schroders, and Legal & General Investment Management.

Brett Jollie, Managing Director – Australia at Aberdeen Standard Investments, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Vishal to our business. His appointment signals our commitment to investing in our business and growing our presence in Australia and New Zealand, as we continue to provide institutional investors with a broad spectrum of global investment capabilities and ESG-embedded solutions to help them navigate the challenging markets and invest for a better future.”

Andrew Hendry, Head of Distribution – Asia-Pacific at Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: “As an active investment manager, we have a vital role to play in the savings, retirement planning and financial eco-system. During these uncertain times investors are facing significant disruption, so deepening client engagements has never been more critical for us. Vishal’s strong experience and understanding of institutional investors’ needs will be integral to delivering the right solutions to address their investment challenges and supporting our growth ambition across the region.”

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At bfinance, Vishal will support Australia country director Frithjof van Zyp in expanding the consultancy’s Australian offering, which follows a period of client wins for bfinance and a growing demand for investment consultancy services by institutional investors in the region.

Vishal will work alongside Frithjof to service the firm’s existing client roster, grow bfinance’s client relationships and increase engagement with major institutional investors across public and private pension funds, insurers, family offices and endowments in Australia.

Vishal joins bfinance from M&G Investments in London where he was instrumental in winning multiple ratings for the firm’s strategies and responsible for developing and maintaining key relationships with leading UK and global institutional stakeholders.

With more than 10 years of consultant relations and business development experience, Vishal brings significant expertise in working with asset consultants and asset owners, including Australian superannuation funds, as well as skills in bespoke product development projects for clients.

Prior to his time at M&G, Vishal held various institutional business development and consultant relationships roles with Schroders and Legal and General Investment Management. He holds the ASIC Regulatory Guidelines 146 (RG146), the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) Diploma, the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) and a BA in Management and Economics from the University of Leeds.

bfinance has embarked on a significant phase of growth and expansion following the investment in the firm by Baird Capital, announced in May 2016, and has since made a number of significant hires to respond to the growing demand for customised investment advisory and strategic implementation services.

Pal Sarai, managing director at bfinance and head of client consulting, EMEA, Australia & Asia said: “We are delighted to welcome Vishal to the team as we respond to growing client demand in Australia. Vishal has considerable institutional business development and relationship management experience and this will be critical to expanding our offering and client base in the region, which we see as a key area of our international expansion.

Over the past year, bfinance has bolstered its investment strategy, client service and research teams and Vishal’s appointment represents a further strengthening of our capabilities and is also indicative of our commitment to the Australian market.”

Frithjof van Zyp, bfinance Australia country director, said: “I look forward to working together with Vish in our Sydney office. Since the beginning of the year we have won multiple new clients, so the timing of Vish’s appointment could not be better. Vish’s experience and skill set will help serve our current Australian client base and support the continued growth of our business in the APAC region.”

Commenting on his appointment Vishal Sharma, senior associate, bfinance Australia, said: “I am very pleased to have joined such a well-regarded firm at a time when it is enjoying an exciting period of expansion. bfinance is a leader in the investment consultancy industry and is recognised for providing award-winning advisory solutions across key asset classes for major institutional investors.

Australia is an important and a fast-growing market for institutional investment and a key area for expansion for bfinance. I believe my considerable experience in business development and relationship management will add value to the growing team and enhance bfinance’s capability to offer clients the best advice and service.”

In addition to its Headquarters in London, bfinance now has offices in Amsterdam, Munich, Montreal, Paris and Sydney. To date the company has advised over 300 institutions on more than 700 engagements, involving investments totalling over $140billion.

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