InvestorDaily

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has appointed AXA IM’s quantitative platform Rosenberg Equities to manage a portfolio of environmental and socially responsible investments. The mandate, which will be actively managed by Rosenberg Equities, will focus on low volatility and high earnings quality while integrating ESG. AXA IM head of Australia and New Zealand Craig Hurt said the new mandate reflects the fund manager’s commitment to global, active, sustainable and low-cost equity strategies.

“Our mandate with CalPERS is based on the same strategy that was launched first here in Australia in 2014, our locally domiciled AXA IM Sustainable Equity Fund,” Mr Hurt said. “We have delivered on the proposition over the past four years and now investors in other parts of the world are following Australia’s lead,” he said. CalPERS is the world’s fifth-largest pension fund with US$356 billion in funds under management.

The rest of this article can be found at investordaily.com.au.

AdviserVoice

ASX announces that its Chief Financial Officer, Mr Ramy Aziz, will retire in September 2018, after 18 years of service with the Group, including eight years as CFO. ASX Managing Director and CEO, Dominic Stevens, said: “Ramy has made a very significant contribution to ASX over many years and has been an important member of my Executive team. I have valued his support, and the expertise and sound judgement that he has brought to his role as CFO.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with Ramy over the coming months as we prepare to deliver ASX’s fullyear results for 2018.” An executive recruitment process is underway to appoint a successor for Mr Aziz.

The rest of this article can be found at adviservoice.com.au.

AsianInvestor

BNY Mellon Investment Management has seen its Asia-Pacific co-head and head of distribution, Lindsay Wright, leave to pursue other opportunities, and the US firm will not replace her immediately. Now overseeing the region will be Matt Oomen, who was promoted to global head of distribution in October, along with Asia-Pacific co-head Doni Shamsuddin and Shogo Yamaguchi, chairman and president for Japan. Lindsay Wright’s regulatory licence with the firm in Hong Kong ceased on June 13 after two years with the firm.

She has something else lined up, said a Hong Kong-based headhunter, but AsianInvestor could not ascertain what the role might be. The recruiter wondered if she might be returning to her native New Zealand, pointing out that she was appointed to the NZ Exchange’s board of directors in February. Wright confirmed she had left but declined to comment.

The rest of this article can be found at asianinvestor.net.

InvestorDaily

Australia is “quite blessed” when it comes to the appetite for early stage venture capital, says Investec. Investec’s emerging companies portfolio was launched in early 2017 and announced its 13th investment, Sydney-based glasses start-up Dresden Optics, in early June 2018. Investec helped Dresden Optics raise $4 million to further its global expansion, which has already seen the Australian company open an office in Canada.

Speaking in Sydney last week, Investec’s Hein Vogel said the emerging companies portfolio has been set up to help entrepreneurs grow from $10 million to $200 million. The investment bank has similar operations in Hong Kong, London, India and South Africa (where it is headquartered). “My feeling is that a lot of high-net-worth [investors] are punting on entrepreneurs. They’re punting on ideas, and they’re investing and backing these young guys to build some great businesses,” Mr Vogel said.

The rest of this article can be found at investordaily.com.au.

InvestorDaily

AMP has announced that former Credit Suisse Australia executive chairman for investment banking and capital markets Mr O’Sullivan will step into a non-executive director role on 20 June 2018. His appointment comes after AMP chief executive Craig Meller, chair Catherine Brenner and general counsel Brian Salter stepped down in April. A further two AMP directors, Vanessa Wallace and Holly Kramer, pre-emptively resigned ahead of the company’s AGM on 10 May, with long-serving director Patty Akopiantz scheduled to depart at the end of 2018.

The three resigned or resigning board members represent the only remaining women on AMP’s board. As a non-executive board director, Mr O’Sullivan will take up one of the already vacated positions. With the announcement of David Murray as AMP’s new chairman, this currently leaves Ms Akopiantz as the only woman remaining on the company’s eight-member board.

The rest of this article can be found at investordaily.com.au.