Van Eyk names consulting head

Thevan Eyk Researchgroup has filled the gap left by the departure of its former head of asset consulting, Rob Prugue, appointing John Peterson to the role. Peterson, formerly ofBTandCommonwealth Financial Services(CFS), officially joined the firm this week.

Peterson will now oversee the group’s expansion into providing advice to wholesale super funds, including traditional and implemented business models.

The managing director of van Eyk Research, Stephen van Eyk, says with more than 20 years experience in the Australian financial services industry, Peterson possesses the skills and knowledge to effectively fill the void left by Prugue.

Peterson was often at the forefront of the debate on active versus passive investing in his years in funds management, a fact van Eyk says made Peterson stand out for the role with the research house.

“We like to be forthright when we believe in something, and we like [our] people to make waves,” he says.

Peterson was at BT from 1987 to 1994, where he held senior positions in the quantitative and derivatives group, asset allocation group, structured products group and the wholesale business management group. He then switched to CFS where he was the head of investment management. Peterson bowed out of funds management in 1997 to establish his own research house, the Peterson Research Institute, which was involved in strategic management advice, asset allocation and manager reviews, risk management and compliance advice.

“We were particularly impressed with John’s affinity with research. The cultural fit was most important to us,” van Eyk says.

Peterson has also previously served as an external member of the compliance committees of several asset managers, including Ipac Asset Management,Barclays Global InvestorsandPlatinum Asset Management.

Prugue, who was also a director at van Eyk, left the group in November last year to take on the role of senior executive with Lazard Asset Management. Prugue had been with the research house for four years and maintains a minority stake in the group.

At present van Eyk has three directors - Mark Thomas, Sarah Brennan and Stephen van Eyk. Earlier this year, Thomas commented the group would appoint an additional director who would service van Eyk’s institutional clients and take over the board seat vacated by Prugue.

While not yet taking on a directorship, van Eyk says Peterson may do so sometime in the future.