Aware Super has welcomed three senior internal appointments within property, infrastructure and private equity, alongside a portfolio manager hire.
The superannuation fund appointed Alek Misev as head of property, Mark Hector as head of infrastructure and Jenny Newmarch as head of private equity.
Prior to heading the property portfolio, Misev had worked at Aware Super for eight years. He was responsible for the fund’s property strategy both locally and globally, focusing on direct operating platform investments in Australia, North America, Asia, Europe and the UK.
Hector had also worked at Aware Super for eight years and oversaw the fund’s global infrastructure and real assets portfolio team.
He had previously held positions at private banking firm ABN AMRO and Leightons Contractors.
Before joining the fund over six years ago, Newmarch worked at ROC Capital as an investment director.
In addition, her former roles included associate director at Macquarie Bank, a consultant at Mercer and an analyst at Towers Perrin.
Beginning in May 2023, the three newly appointed heads would report to the head of portfolio management, a role which is currently vacant, Aware Super confirmed.
“These direct appointments are in recognition of the depth of talent we have in our inhouse investment teams, the individuals’ leadership in the industry, and their ability to create and execute on leading, innovative investment strategies which drive strong risk adjusted returns for our members’ retirement income streams,” said Damian Graham, Aware Super CIO.
Alongside these three promotions, Aware Super appointed Scott Rissman as portfolio manager, income and markets.
Rissman would oversee the performance of the global market’s strategies and trading capabilities, as well as delivering market solutions.
His team was responsible for all internal trading capabilities, which included managing over $6.5 billion invested across global credit markets.
The portfolio manager was previously QIC’s director of overlay solutions and implementation, where he worked for 19 years.
Michael Clavin, Aware Super head of income, stated Rissman would be “pivotal in delivering a securities finance strategy that will not only originate, but structure trades to optimise collateral and liquidity to generate returns for the Fund”.
The investment team changes reflected the fund’s overall expansion strategy, which would include opening up offices within global markets.
