Acadian bolsters sales team

Global systematic investment specialist Acadian Asset Management has added two staffers to its sales team.

Former director of portfolio solutions at Betashares, Issak Walkom and former Allen Partners analyst Oscar Eele have signed on with the asset manager.

Walkom has been appointed vice president of wholesale business development ,and Eele will come on board as a business development associate.

Both recruits will report to Mark Mukundan, Acadian's head of wholesale markets.

Mukundan said adviser demand for Acadian's investment capabilities had been steadily growing since 2020 when the group brought wholesale distribution in-house.

Before that, Acadian worked with Colonial First State.

"Acadian is well-known in the institutional market as a leader in systematic investing but less well-known in the intermediary market," Mukundan said.

"An important focus for the business has been to grow and strengthen our relationships in the IFA and intermediary consultant space, and momentum is building, particularly for systematic long/short equities strategies,"

Acadian Australia chief executive Gillian Savage said the group had plans to launch a number of new strategies into the Australian market in 2024, including systematic credit.

"We will continue to grow our institutional and wholesale footprint in Australia by investing in our people and team and leveraging our global resources and capabilities to deliver innovative client solutions," she added.

Globally, Acadian manages more than $150 billion.

Around $9.5 billion of that is managed on behalf of Australian and New Zealand investors.