Van Eyk names first external director
Van Eyk Researchhas namedFinancial Planning Association(FPA) board member and Brennan Partners managing partner, Sarah Brennan, as its first external director.
Brennan will act as a non-executive and independent board member with van Eyk director Mark Thomas stating that her appointment was part of the expansion of the board prior to the group’s proposed listing later this year.
“I have seen the van Eyk business from the perspective of a client and been aware of it for many years but now that I am involved in my own business I am in a position to be further involved,” Brennan says.
“I also feel it is an interesting market for research and that van Eyk is in a good position to make the most of that.”
Prior to starting her own business Brennan held a number of roles with Deutsche Bank including head of retail asset management, equity lending and Deutsche Life (Australia).
Brennan was also head of Deutsche Financial Planning and Head of e-Commerce in Australia and was a member of the global operating committee and a key participant in European and Asia Pacific private client strategy development.
Brennan has also held senior management positions with Citibank Australia and Lend Lease/MLC.
At present the board has three directors, Thomas, Brennan and Stephen van Eyk with Thomas saying the group would appoint an additional director responsible for servicing van Eyk’s institutional clients.
This director would take over the role recently vacated by Rob Prugue who has since moved to Lazard Asset Management.
Van Eyk Research grabbed a number of headlines last year with a proposed sale of the business to Mercer being called off at the 11th hour and about 20 per cent of the business being sold to a number of as -yet unnamed external owners.
The sale of that stake boosted the external ownership of the group to 32 per cent which the group claimed was in line with a possible listing on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) within 12 to 18 months from the date of the sale in late August 2002.
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