Russell Investments has announced a number of senior appointments for the Asia-Pacific region.
Tim Furlan, who has worked at the asset manager for almost two decades, holding senior positions across its master trust and superannuation businesses, will take on the role of managing director for Australia and New Zealand.
In the new role, his remit will include driving growth across the firm’s local operations amid burgeoning demand for client-driven solutions across both retail and institutional sectors.
He will be joined by Russell Investments veteran, Peter Gunning, who resumes as head of APAC and will hold the role alongside his vice chairman duties.
Gunning joined the firm in 1996 and had two stints as its global chief investment officer in 2008–2013 and 2018–2021. He also served as the head of APAC for eight years, from October 2013 to October 2021.
The appointments follow the departure of Jodie Hampshire after a 17-year tenure at the firm in Sydney and London.
As the head of APAC for two years, Hampshire led a team working across a range of segments such as sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, corporate superannuation, not-for-profit, licensee groups and financial advisors to deliver total portfolio outcomes.
She also previously served as a chief operating officer, Pacific, at Mercer Investments.
Additionally, Bronwyn Yates has been named head of go-to-market (GTM) strategy and operations for APAC, which spans Australia, China, Japan, Korea and New Zealand. She has been with the firm for over 16 years and has also been a director on the Russell Investment Management Board since 2013.
Russell Investments’ new MD for the region, Furlan, thanked Hampshire for her enormous contributions over the years.
“I am honoured to work alongside Pete to drive innovation, with a focus on client investment outcomes,” he said.
“More than ever, our clients need solutions that create and protect wealth in an increasingly complex environment. We’re delivering new initiatives in response to client needs and have innovative products in the pipeline for now and into 2024.”
In February this year, Zach Buchwald stepped in as the firm’s new chief executive and chairman, following his director role at BlackRock where he was responsible for delivering investment capabilities to institutional clients.
He established BlackRock’s retirement solutions and financial markets advisory platforms, and worked on the company’s global operating committee. He also previously served as a managing director at Morgan Stanley.
Buchwald succeeded former chief executive Michelle Seitz, who departed from Russell Investments in late 2022.
