Dimitri Giannaras will join the firm as a distribution director, responsible for managing the firm’s relationships with advisory groups in NSW and Victoria.
He will work closely with head of distribution Steve Higgins in Sydney, and distribution directors Nathan Boroughs and Adam Philippe, as well as distribution director Huw O’Grady in Melbourne.
Prior to joining GCQ, Giannaras was a senior wholesale business development manager (BDM) at Ausbil Investment Management and also worked as a BDM at Zurich and Challenger.
Higgins said: “Dimitri is respected across the market for his professionalism and the quality of relationships he has fostered over the last decade. The addition of Dimitri to GCQ will round out what is already a very experienced and high-performing team.”
Dimitri commented: “I’m thrilled to be stepping into the role of distribution director at GCQ. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a firm that is redefining excellence in investment management. The team at GCQ has shown a clear sense of purpose, strong investment philosophy and unwavering focus on delivering great outcomes for clients.
“Having previously worked alongside Steve and Nathan at Fidante, I know the calibre of the team at GCQ. Steve’s mentorship has had a lasting impact on my career, and I’m energised by the opportunity to work together once again, playing our part in driving GCQ’s next phase of growth.”
Fund manager GCQ – which stands for global, concentrated and quality – was set up by Doug Tynan, David Symons, and Justin Hardwick in November 2021. It runs a global equities Flagship Fund which was set up in July 2022 and invests in quality companies.
Earlier this year, GCQ launched its first active ETF – GCQ Global Equities Complex ETF. This invests in a concentrated portfolio of listed global equity securities designed to deliver compound risk-adjusted returns while preserving capital over the long term.
There has been a surge in distribution appointments at fund managers in recent weeks, especially those targeting financial advisers. This includes hires at Watershed Funds Management, Centuria Capital Group, Ironbark Asset Management, and Talaria Capital.
Distribution in the wealth management space has become a focus for fund managers this year, with the advent of more complex and alternative products, as financial advisers said they rely on business development teams more than ever to explain the intricacies of their firms’ funds.
