Lukasz de Pourbaix, executive director of Lonsec Investment Solutions and chief investment officer (CIO), is set to depart the firm mid-June.
He had been with the firm for almost 15 years and was stepping down to pursue an “exciting opportunity” with a global asset manager, Lonsec said.
In the interim, executive director responsibilities for Lonsec Investment Solutions would be handled by Michael Wright, Lonsec chief executive and managing director for implemented portfolios.
Wright noted that de Pourbaix had made an “outstanding contribution” to Lonsec and the industry.
“As group CIO, Lukasz has overseen the various investment committees used to make medium-term investment decisions based on a clearly defined, common sense research-based investment philosophy,” he said.
“We wish Lukasz all the best with the next exciting stage of his career at a leading global asset manager and can assure all investors that the team remain absolutely committed to continuing the great work”.
Deanne Baker, multi-asset portfolio manager, would be appointed interim CIO and would continue to manage the multi-asset, retirement and sustainable portfolios.
She would also chair the Lonsec Investment Solutions Asset Allocation Investment Committee and join the IPL Asset Allocation Investment Committee (IPL AAIC) as a member.
The rest of Lonsec’s managed account portfolio and consulting services would be managed by experienced and long-standing members of the Lonsec team who will report to Wright, including:
- Danial Moradi, who was responsible for the listed diversified and Australian equities managed account portfolios and had been with Lonsec for 15 years;
- Veronica Klaus, head of investment consulting who has been with Lonsec for 12 years and led investment consulting services, including the management of Lonsec’s tailored managed account portfolios;
- Chris Robertson, portfolio manager ESG Aware for Implemented Portfolios (IPL) who had over 30 years’ experience across leading asset managers.
The IPL portfolios would continue to be overseen by IPL’s Asset Allocation Investment Committee chaired independently by Paul Dortkamp.
Tim Farrelly from Farrelly’s Investment Strategy would also continue as a member of the IPL AAIC, which he had served on continuously with Dortkamp since its inception in 2010.
New members of the IPL AAIC committee would include Chris Robertson and Nick Field, who was recently been promoted to the role of portfolio manager, IPL portfolios.
The Product Investment Oversight Committee (PIOC), a sub board committee to the Lonsec Board, would continue to be led by Dr Steve Garth as independent chair.
