Morningstar has strengthened its managed portfolios team with the appointment of two national roles, nabbing talent from Antipodes and a returning investment specialist.
Clint Abraham, a former Morningstar investment specialist, has rejoined the rating house as national director, investment specialist after spending just shy of three years at Elston Asset Management as an investment specialist.
He was previously with Morningstar for seven and a half years before departing in 2023.
Taking on this national role, Abraham will work with the account managers and business development teams to support financial advisers and investors with Morningstar’s solutions and capabilities.
Secondly, Vijay Srinivasan has also joined the ratings house as head of national sales to lead the team and spearhead the distribution strategy for its managed portfolios across key stakeholders, including licensees, platforms, advice practices and financial advisers.
Srinivasan brings 25 years of expertise in intermediaries and wealth management, most recently operating as head of intermediary distribution for Antipodes Group. His career has seen him hold senior roles at several key industry firms, including Maple-Brown Abbott, Colonial First State (CFS), BlackRock and Barclays Global Investors.
Morningstar Australia country lead Chris Galloway said the appoints signal a “step forward” for its managed portfolios business.
“Vijay brings exceptional leadership and deep industry experience that will help us strengthen adviser engagement and accelerate growth nationally,” Galloway said.
“Clint’s return adds invaluable expertise in investment communication and client engagement, ensuring advisers have the insights and tools they need to deliver outstanding outcomes for investors.
“Together with our teams, they will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission to empower advisers and investors.”
This announcement comes after Morningstar faced considerable backlash following its decision to introduce Medalist ratings based on algorithm-driven people, process and parent pillars in Australia.
Morningstar scrapped this controversial decision in December, with the reversal coming into effect from 31 March 2026.
The timeline of this is particularly important as September saw research houses facing intense scrutiny from ASIC around their ‘gatekeeping’ of funds targeted at retail and wholesale investors, while November had SQM Research being sued by the regulator in November over alleged failures regarding ratings of the Shield Master Trust.
