Assirt appoints new head of ratings

Assirt Researchhas named Kathleen Cave as its new head of ratings, filling the position left vacant since the departure of John Parrish in July last year.

Parrish left the job after only four months in the role and the position has remained unfilled until now.

Assirt head of research Caroline Saunders says the recruitment process took so long because Assirt needed to find a candidate with the necessary skills to fill the role.

“We had to be really careful. It took time to find a person with both the technical skills and the management skills to fit the group,” Saunders says.

Cave will take on responsibility for the ratings business and for managing the analysts’ work in research. “The role goes beyond managed funds to covering sector reports,” Saunders says.

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The appointment of Cave to the Assirt team comes alongside that of Julie Orr and Leanne Taylor.

Orr, who has worked withMorningstaras head of research and most recently withIntechas head of fund services, will be permanently employed by Assirt after early reports indicated her appointment would be short-term only.

Orr will be involved in a revamp of the research group’s quarterly market share report and pushing Assirt’s data business forward, while heading a number of yet-to-be unveiled new projects.

Taylor, who will report to Steve Gamarov, joins the group in the area of asset allocation, with a particular focus on assisting advisers. Saunders says Taylor will focus on asset allocation for use with the financial planning portfolio.

Saunders says the addition of the three was part of an overall regearing inside the research house, which is positioning itself under Sealcorp to create a dealer services model to third party advisers.