Frontier restructures, promotes

Frontier Advisors has redesigned its research structure and promoted internal talent into a number of new roles including a new deputy research director.

Responding to a shift in focus by its institutional investor client base, the asset consultant has modified the team composition in its research practice.

The two service areas of investment governance and responsible investment will now join the sector research program under the direction of Paul Newfield.

The other dedicated research teams reporting to Newfield will be real assets, equities, defensives and alternatives and private markets.

Supporting Newfield, principal consultant Andrew Kemp will take on the new role of deputy research director while also leading the private markets research effort for the firm.

Manish Rastogi, James Gunn and Joey Alcock will remain head of real assets, equities, and responsible investment respectively.

Meantime, Iain McMahon and Sarah Cornelius will move into new roles as head of defensives and alternatives and head of investment governance.

Rounding out those promotions, Marie Cardaci has been promoted to deputy head of responsible investment, reporting to Alcock.

While previously isolating alternatives as a standalone research team, Frontier will bring that area into a broader defensives and alternatives group to create a larger team of aligned specialists.

As a result, the former head of alternatives, Michiel Swaak, will exit the firm.

Frontier chief executive Andrew Polson said the changes reflected the shift in what clients want.

"There's no doubt that both responsible investment and enhanced governance in investing are key areas of focus for asset owners. We think bringing our dedicated teams already working with clients in these areas directly into our research program will deliver further synergies and further integrate those insights and practices," said Polson.

"At the same time, we're going to merge our teams researching the alternatives and broader defensive classes to get a better holistic result with a bigger single team looking at a complete range of aligned investment ideas outside of the more traditional equities and real assets areas."

Speaking on the promotions, Polson said many staffers had grown from entry-level roles.

Homegrown talent has been a hallmark of Frontier's business for almost three decades.

Also, the asset consultant will be introducing an entry-level pool of investment and data analysts to support all teams by taking on some of their less-intensive work.

This should help attract new talent and provide a clearer career path for junior staff.

The firm will continue to hunt for talent in 2024 to build out its new pool of analysts and add more senior capability to its research and client consulting teams.

Polson says patience will be key.

"We're a people business," he said

"The quality of our team and the integrity of our unconflicted advice model is what our clients really value. So, we must be very selective in finding the right people to join our team. That includes cultural fit as well as intellectual capability and work ethic.

"We have a strong record of finding and developing talent and I'm looking forward to that process."