BlackRock appoints Australian head of index investments and iShares


BlackRock Australasia has appointed Jason Collins as head of iShares and index investments for the Australian and New Zealand region.
The appointment would form part of Collins’ broader responsibilities as deputy head of BlackRock Australasia, where he works across strategic initiatives. Jason was also a member of the BlackRock Australian board.
Andrew Landman, head of Australasia, BlackRock said: “With a near decade long track record in successfully building the local BlackRock franchise and over 20 years of investment industry experience, Jason has an in-depth understanding of the needs of all types of Australian investors from wealth advisers building model portfolios for their clients, to superannuation funds looking to build scale and access global insights.
“The focus of our local iShares franchise has always been to offer institutional-quality, cost-effective portfolio building blocks and key thematic exposures in response to our wealth and institutional client needs. We have an unwavering commitment to our partners to help them deliver the best outcomes for their end-investor clients and members.
“As a champion of investor education, I’m delighted to see Jason lead the next phase of indexing growth in the region to help more Australian investors realise the benefits of our iShares and index investments business including convenience, affordability, transparency, and resilience.”
Peter Loehnert, head of iShares and index investments, Asia Pacific, BlackRock, said: “Australia is home to one of the most mature ETF markets in the world, we are delighted to have a seasoned, high-calibre individual like Jason take on the role to support our clients.
“In the Asia-Pacific region, our priority is to evolve the delivery of our iShares platform to better meet client needs. This includes using iShares exchange traded funds for tactical asset allocation to core portfolio building blocks and whole portfolio solutions. Jason will accelerate our efforts in Australasia to democratise investing to help a broader base of investors achieve their long-term financial goals”.
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