Goldman Sachs AM hires from QIC

Craig Balenzuela has joined Goldman Sachs Asset Management to lead its local alternatives capital markets and strategy group in Australia and New Zealand.

As managing director of the group,  Balenzuela will oversee institutional capital raising and strategy for alternative investments throughout the asset manager.

The group centrally manages capital raising for all alternatives products and portfolio solutions from institutional investors in alternatives, including across private equity, credit, real estate, infrastructure, growth equity, secondaries, impact investing, and absolute-return strategies.

Balenzuela joins from Queensland Investment Corporation, where his most recent role was managing director, global development, and strategic partnerships.

At the Queensland investor, he was responsible for leading institutional business development across products spanning real estate, infrastructure, private equity, private debt, liquid alternatives, and overlay strategies.

Before his eight years at QIC, he ran institutional business development at K2 Advisors and established the Australasian operations for APT Inc.

"Craig brings extensive relationships and alternatives experience that will help further expand our private markets capital raising effort in Australia and New Zealand," said David Gribble head of Australia and New Zealand alternatives investing at Goldman Sachs AM.

"As one of the world's largest alternatives managers, we are excited about delivering the full capabilities of our platform to investors in this region."

Goldman Sachs AM manages over US$400 billion in alternative assets globally.

Separately, Josh Bennett has resigned from his job in institutional equity sales to join Jefferies in the asset manager's Melbourne office.