GAM Investments has hired a new business development manager (BDM) following the appointment of its Australian managing director last November.
Malcolm Kazal has joined the investment manager as a BDM to further serve its wholesale clients across Australia.
Based in Sydney, he will report to Eric Finnell, GAM’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, and work alongside existing global teams and client directors Daniel Sharp and Alexandra Williamson to strengthen the institutional and wholesale client base.
Kazal brings private markets experience to his new position, having worked within the high-net-worth and institutional sectors. Most recently, he was a corporate relationship manager at online investing platform Stake and also spent more than two years at Barclay Pearce Capital as an equity sales trader and institutional equity trader.
The managing director noted that Kazal’s appointment was particularly timely for the business.
He explained: “His experience with pre-IPO equities in the advisory market will be integral as the LSA Private Shares Fund hits the three-year milestone annualising over 40 per cent returns in a difficult period for private equity.
“Malcolm is an excellent addition. GAM’s commitment to the Australian market continues to grow and we look forward to our larger team meeting demand and strengthening relationships with both existing and new clients throughout 2025 and beyond.”
Finnell’s appointment was announced in November 2024 after his predecessor, Alex Zaika, left to take up the CEO role at Global X.
In the MD position, he is responsible for driving GAM’s regional offerings and providing local clients access to exceptional investment talent and distinctive investment products across equities, fixed income, multi-asset and alternatives.
Finnell joined GAM from Bennelong Funds Management, where he worked as the head of institutional – APAC for three years. Prior to this, he spent 12 years at Fisher Investments in the US and Sydney, and began his career as a financial adviser.
Commenting on his appointment at the time, the firm said: “GAM’s commitment to the Australian market has been unwavering. The appointment of Eric marks the next significant step in enhancing our presence and delivering innovative, institutional grade investment solutions tailored to the needs of our Australian clients.”
Finnell remarked: “I’m delighted to join GAM, particularly due to the truly innovative and unique alternative capabilities currently setting us apart in the market. We will further our commitment to this market, where we have established a strong presence over many years. GAM’s investment strategies offer exceptional opportunities for clients to diversify their portfolios amid macroeconomic changes.”
