Merlon Capital Partners has made multiple changes to its business in appointing two investment specialists from Platinum, setting up an advisory board and moving to direct distribution.
Joining the investment team, Julian McCormack will be a portfolio manager, engagement, while Kirit Hira will be a portfolio manager and analyst.
McCormack spent almost a decade at Platinum as an investment specialist and analyst, while Hira was at the firm for eight years as an investment analyst and portfolio manager in the Asia team. Prior to joining Platinum, McCormack was a vice president at Credit Suisse where he spent eight years, while Hira spent eight years at Macquarie Bank.
The pair’s addition to the team brings the investment team’s average experience to 20 years each.
Finally, it has established an advisory board with three experienced individuals which will improve its research and decision-making, it said. The firm runs a formal engagement program with its investee company boards, and an advisory board review is required prior to increasing portfolio positions.
Co-founder Hamish Carlisle said: “The advisory board structure will support our engagement agenda, challenge us, lift the quality of our research, improve our corporate access, and drive better decision making. It positions Merlon as leaders in active ownership through constructive engagement.”
Andrew Mohl, Brad Soller and Vicky Binns have all been appointed as its inaugural non-executive members, alongside Carlisle and co-founder Neil Margolis.
Mohl was a former chief executive of AMP, from 2002 to 2007, and he was previously the managing director of AMP Financial Services and non-executive director at Commonwealth Bank. He was also a member of the external advisory panel at ASIC for five years.
Soller was a former chief financial officer of ASX-listed firms, including Lendlease and Metcash, while Binns was a former head of research at Merrill Lynch Australia.
Margolis concluded: “Since becoming fully owned by its investment team in July 2024, Merlon Capital Partners has been focused on reinforcing our investment philosophy through a culture that emphasises our long-term perspective, independent thinking, and alignment of interests between Merlon’s owners.”
The appointments come as Merlon takes over the distribution of its investment products direct to investors at the end of February. Last July, the firm bought out the minority stake in the business held by Fidante which saw certain corporate services transition to Merlon and the firm fully owned by its investment team.
