Willis Towers Watson appoints Australian head of credit
Former Funds SA portfolio manager Simon James has been appointed head of credit, Australia, at global advisory and broking firm Willis Towers Watson, effective July 16, 2018.
Martin Goss, Willis Towers Watson’s director, investments, said James’ experience in managing multi-billion-dollar fixed-income and liquid alternatives portfolios was a valuable addition to the manager research team.
“We’re excited to have someone of Simon’s calibre join our team. We worked closely with Simon while he was with Funds SA and were always impressed with his knowledge of the credit manager universe, his ability to think strategically and how he brought ideas together in portfolio construction,” Goss said.
“He demonstrated a high level of collaboration, which is central to our culture, and this gives me confidence he will seamlessly fit straight into our team and our client partnerships.”
James spent 11 years at Funds SA, where he managed the fixed-income and liquid alternatives portfolios, with assets totalling $11 billion.
He also worked with the Funds SA director of strategy to develop the overall investment strategy and asset allocation for each of Funds SA’s clients.
Recommended for you
Zenith Investment Partners has welcomed a BDM focusing on adviser solutions in a series of appointments, while two asset managers have also confirmed new hires.
AMP non-executive director Kathleen Bailey-Lord and Iress non-executive director Susan Forrester have been appointed to the national board of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Wealth manager JBWere has announced the launch of two fixed income strategies for wholesale clients, backed by UBS Asset Management.
Firetrail Investments has confirmed the departure of four executives over the last quarter, including head of investment strategy Anthony Doyle.
