Aware Super picks up Pendal’s COO, ex-AMP Cap executive

afr.com:

Consolidation in funds management is proving to be a ripe hunting ground for superannuation funds recruiting for plum roles in their internal investment teams – just ask the $160 billion Aware Super.

Damian Graham, who oversees $160 billion of superannuation assets, has seven direct reports.  Louie Douvis

Aware has picked up former AMP Capital executive Simon Warner as its new head of portfolio management.

Warner was part of AMP Capital’s leadership team, serving as the global chief investment officer for the fixed income business and then as the global head of public markets. He crossed over to Macquarie Asset Management, to whom AMP Capital sold its $60 billion global equity and fixed income business two years ago.

In his new role, he will oversee portfolio management across Aware’s collection of investments in public markets, private equity, property and infrastructure, working with individual sector heads. Aware has made big bets across all those sectors, including picking up a stake in telco Vocus, which has a live bid worth $6 billion for TPG Telecom’s non-mobile fibre assets. 

He reports to Aware’s chief investment officer, Damian Graham, who is at the top of the food chain in the super fund’s investment management team.

In another move set loose by consolidation, Pendal Group global chief operating officer Justin Howell has taken a role at Aware Super after Pendal was bought by ASX-listed funds management peer Perpetual Limited.

Howell’s official title is chief operating officer – investments. His day-to-day work will focus on building Aware’s services, investment governance and direct investing teams.

The hires leave Graham with seven direct reports. In addition to Howell and Warner, there’s Damien Webb (deputy