Industry Moves

Hostplus' high-profile deputy chief investment officer Con Michalakis has landed the top investment job at Funds SA. Funds SA, the investment corporation owned by the Government of South Australia, has appointed Michalakis as its new chief investment officer. The incoming investment chief will report to  John Piteo, replacing acting chief investment officer Matt Kempton, who has led the investment team for the last six months.

JANA Investment Advisers has lost a senior consultants to one of Qatar's largest pension funds. After five years at JANA, Kishodaran Letchumanan has joined the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA) - the pension fund for Qatari citizens. The GRSIA has hired Letchumanan as an associate director within the private equity and infrastructure team. The JANA operative joins a growing band of investment professionals relocating to the Gulf States.

AustralianSuper's head of member products, guidance and advice has been promoted to general manager of retirement. This a larger role for Shane Hancock who has been responsible for all superannuation, insurance, and retirement products since 2022. Reporting to chief member officer Rose Kerlin, Hancock is now tasked with building on the strengths of the savings system and developing a simple, seamless and member-centred retirement experience at AustralianSuper.

UniSuper has appointed a new head of product following Ian Lorimer's decision to step down after 13 years with the superannuation fund with over 80 billion in assets.

David Di Pilla's HMC Capital has bolstered its distribution team by hiring a senior director for its wholesale business. In her new role, Sarah Hegarty is tasked with driving growth and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders. The ASX-listed HMC Capital said her extensive background in the industry and proven track record of success make her a valuable addition to the team.

T. Rowe Price, the US$1.61 trillion asset manager has promoted a local executive to a regional role as the investment firm beefs up its presence in the Asia Pacific. A vice president with the firm, Cassandra Crowe has been appointed head of Asia Pacific consultant relations. Crowe who has been with the firm for five years was recruited to lead the consulting team for Australia and New Zealand. This appointment comes as T.

HarbourVest Partners has hired Vanessa Pham as vice president of its private client group. The private markets specialist said Pham's appointment comes as the asset manager looks to further increase its coverage in the private wealth and family office sector in Australia and New Zealand. "Vanessa brings with her over 18 years of experience in the private wealth and family office market, in both investment research and distribution roles across Sydney and London," HarbourVest said.

OneVentures, the venture capital firm with over $900 million in funds under management, has recruited a new head of distribution. Chris Briggs will lead the group's capital-raising efforts working closely with co-founder and managing partner Michelle Deaker and the investor relations team. He brings over 25 years of leadership in financial services across Australia and Europe, with deep expertise in fundraising, investor relations, and client portfolio solutions.

Australia's $229.7 billion sovereign wealth fund has hired a new senior associate to join the credit team. As part of the Future Fund's investment team, Brooke Peel will cover global credit investments including investment grade, high yield, private debt, emerging markets and distressed debt. Previously, she was a fixed-income investment analyst at HESTA helping to bring the super fund's defensive assets portfolio in-house.

Tyndall Asset Management has named a new head of equities following the retirement of Brad Potter after 23 years with the firm. The investment firm's deputy head of Australian equities will lead the franchise and its ten-person investment team.