Northern Trust hires quant from Robeco

Under the prudential regulator's Your Future, Your Super guidelines, Australian superannuation funds will put their active risk budgets into sharp focus and increasingly look to quantitative strategies for dependable, scalable, lower-risk sources of alpha.

This is the view of Northern Trust Asset Management deputy investment chief Michael Hunstad following a key global hire.

Northern Trust AM - with $1.09 trillion in assets under management, has appointed Guido Baltussen to run quant strategies worldwide.

"We're pleased to see Guido bring his extensive background in systematic strategies, which will enable us to expand our solutions and product set in the region," said Hunstad.

Based in Amsterdam, Baltussen will oversee the firm's expanding international quantitative teams in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

He will lead Northern Trust AM's international quantitative strategies investments, including quantitative research and innovation, thought leadership, and investment strategy.

Baltussen was most recently head of equity factor investing and co-head of quantitative fixed income at Robeco.

Previous roles include running quantitative research for multi-asset strategies at NN Investment Partners and investment strategy with ING Investment Management.

"Guido's wealth of experience in factor investing in equity, fixed income, and multi-asset strategies is a tremendous addition to NTAM's global quantitative strategies business," added Hunstad said.

"With decades of demonstrated ability to deliver value to clients through our quantitative investment strategies, NTAM is reinvesting in this important area of the business and growing our international client capabilities."

NTAM has $31.7 billion in assets under management in quantitative strategies as of September 30, 2023.