Selects boosts research capability

Boutique investment group Select Asset Management has stepped up its push into the absolute return and alternative investment space, bringing former Berkley Group head of investment research Sean Webster on board, and adding two further staffers to its research and marketing team.

Webster will be joined by Robert Graham Smith, who takes on a dual role encompassing both marketing and research.

Smith will take on distribution focused role, but will also contribute on the research side with a concentration towards alternative investments.

He joins Select after most recently holding the post of associate vice president/senior research analyst with DB Absolute Return Strategies - the hedge fund focused unit within the Deutsche Bank group.

Brendan Foley, also a founder and current managing director says the hires will assist the group ambition in the absolute return space.

“The combination of a strong in-house team and access to specialist fund managers puts us in an ideal position,” Foley says.

Kristin Engelbrecht also joins the group as a marketing assistant having most recently worked at AMP owned Hillross Financial Services.

Meanwhile, Select has confirmed the appointment of Clayton Friend as chairman of the group. Friend is currently employed by Swiss-based Gottex Fund Management Group as senior managing director, head of corporate strategy.

Select was established in 2002 as a result of a joint venture between an Australian-based team including Dominic McCormick, Foley, Friend, Roger Campbell and David Yale and Gottex.