Scientific Beta has unveiled plans to expand into Australia and New Zealand with new offices and local hires.
The firm, which specializes in factor investing and ESG index design and implementation, will be setting up offices in Melbourne and Sydney as part of its expansion. It has also hired Susan Rodgers as business development director and Mike Aked as senior investment specialist.
Rodgers has joined Scientific Beta from State Street Global Advisors in Sydney, where she was senior account executive and vice president. Aked was previously partner, head of research – Australia and global head of asset allocation at Research Affiliates.
Scientific Beta was established in December 2012 by EDHEC-Risk Institute, an academic institution in the field of fundamental and applied research for the investment industry, before a majority stake was acquired by Singapore Exchange in 2020.
The firm, which has the aim of “bridging the gap” between academia and the investment industry, focuses on index design for smart beta, specifically factor investing, and environmental, social and governance (ESG), particularly climate investing.
David Wickham, deputy CEO and global sales & client director at Scientific Beta, said: “We are very excited about Scientific Beta’s expansion to serve the Australian and New Zealand markets, especially in view of the quality of Susan and Mike as our new hires in the region.
“They both have the knowledge and expertise to ensure that Scientific Beta will be as successful in ANZ as we have been globally. We are confident that Susan and Mike will foster the adoption by ANZ institutional investors, asset managers and consultants of the award-winning Climate Impact Consistent Indices (CICI), the flagship Scientific Beta multi-factor indices, available with ESG and Low Carbon filters, and Scientific Beta’s suite of macro-tilted and thematic equity indices.”
