Orbis seeks ‘trusted partner’ status among retail advisers

As the firm enters a new growth phase, Orbis Investments managing director Jason Ciccolallo has said it is looking to strengthen relationships within the retail adviser ecosystem to align with the firm’s institutional reputation.

Founded in 1989, Orbis Investments is a global equity manager with $72 billion in assets under management (AUM) utilising a fundamental, long-term, contrarian approach in its operations.

Earlier this month, the firm appointed Sarah Bunning from Capital Group as its new head of marketing to drive its next phase of growth, through which the firm would be focused on expanding its reach beyond institutional investors and into the advised retail investor market.

Speaking to Money Management about the future of the firm following this announcement, Ciccolallo said Orbis is looking to increase brand awareness and adviser engagement with the aim of making the firm a “known and trusted partner in the retail adviser ecosystem, comparable to its place in the institutional landscape”.

“This phase is about sustainable growth in the Australian retail market, particularly through the advised channel. Orbis sees this growth not simply in terms of scale but in deepened relationships, building a community of like-minded advisers, and maintaining a consistent and disciplined investment process,” he said. 

“The firm’s success will be measured by the quality of its adviser relationships, the growth, and the retention of adviser relationships and aligned clients, and its ability to deliver on the long-term performance expectations it sets.”

To facilitate this growth, Ciccolallo explained, Orbis will work with Allan Gray Australia, the firm’s sister company, to distribute Orbis funds, bolstered by support from the marketing and investment specialist teams.

It will also focus on expanding platform availability to ensure advisers can access Orbis funds, particularly emerging markets equity, with ease through their existing client platforms.

While increasing the firm’s reach is important, the managing director said a key priority for the firm is increasing Orbis’ impact for retail clients “in a measured and responsible way, underpinned by investment performance”. 

With many investors’ portfolios largely dominated by US market assets and several large companies, he argued that the inclusion of Orbis’ contrarian investment philosophy can improve diversification and mitigate this concentration risk.