IWL, Lonsec, Navigator fill key research roles

IWL-owned research house InvestorWeb, Melbourne-based research house Lonsec and platform provider Navigator have found replacement funds analysts from what various industry heads have admitted is a currently depleted pool of talent.

InvestorWeb was left without a single traditional managed funds analyst in August this year when senior analyst Rodney Sebire left the research house, now headed up by Angela Ashton, to go to platform provider Skandia and David Walker left for fund manager Over 50s Mutual.

The moves were one of many from a host of prominent research houses at the time, triggering fears of further defections by analysts from research houses to fund managers.

But in a reversal of the trend, IWL last week announced its replacements for Sebire and Walter had both come from fund managers.

Former ING fixed interest specialist Sallyanne Cook has joined InvestorWeb to take up the position of senior investment analyst, and former Zurich and van Eyk researcher Jeremy Graham-Higgs joins as a new investment analyst.

The securing of Cook and Graham-Higgs, who have over 24 years experience between them, comes at a time when Lonsec, van Eyk and Navigator, have also been on the hunt for analysts following recent key staff departures.

Lonsec general manager research Grant Kennaway said Lonsec had found a replacement for recently departed senior analyst Anthony Pesutto some weeks ago as well as appointing an additional researcher.

The recent appointments for the Melbourne-based research house are also both from fund managers.

Shali Sivapalan joined Lonsec as an investment analyst this month from IOOF and John Besley joined from London where he worked with Mellon Global Investments and AMP Henderson.

Meanwhile, Navigator head of research Stuart Fechner said the platform provider had already made one appointment after two of its researchers left the group earlier in the year.

He said Navigator was at the tail end of the interview process for the second replacement, adding that he expected to make an offer by the end of the week.

When last contacted, van Eyk was interviewing for a replacement for senior research analyst Dennis Mothoneous who left for Strategic Capital Management in August.