Apostle Funds Management has appointed the newly created role of director and head of wholesale, as the firm expands its Australian footprint in the wholesale sector.
Stuart James has commenced immediately in the new position. At Apostle, James will support director and head of global distribution, Kimon Kouryialas, in the delivery of its investment solutions.
In particular, he will oversee the distribution of strategies to give investors access to assets, including credit, alternative debt and equity, private credit, venture capital, timberland and global equities.
James brings more than 25 years of experience in the wealth management profession, specialising in distribution, marketing and client services.
Prior to joining Apostle, he worked at boutique investment management firm Lakehouse Capital for four years. His roles at the company included general manager and head of distribution, where he established Lakehouse’s wholesale presence in Australia while also assisting the retail division.
His experience also includes over two decades spent at Aberdeen Standard Investments (now abrdn), where he worked in several roles including board director and head of marketing and business strategy.
Kouryialas welcomed James to the Apostle team where he will support the firm in its growth plans.
“Stuart’s experience and expertise within the wholesale space will be pivotal as we continue our global distribution strategy. He brings a network of strong relationships and has a proven track record of implementing strategies across a range of functions to drive growth,” he said.
“The market has shifted, and investors are seeking a range of sophisticated strategies to build robust portfolios for wealth preservation and to generate alpha with global exposure.”
Kouryialas first joined Apostle in September 2023 to lead its global distribution strategy. Prior to this, he spent more than a decade in the distribution division at Martin Currie.
Commenting on James’ appointment, Karyn West, Apostle’s managing director, said: “Stuart’s appointment will support our growth as we continue to expand our footprint within the wholesale sector across Australia and New Zealand.
“We are seeing increasing investor demand for differentiated investment strategies to diversify portfolios within the institutional and wholesale market. Stuart’s experience across both markets will be critical as we continue to deliver bespoke solutions to clients.”
