Russell Investments makes implementation hire

Global asset manager Russell Investments has appointed John Venardos as head of its implementation services business in the Australasian region. 

Venardos will replace Daniel Birch, who will move to the Australian institutional business development team. 

Venardos has more than 20 years’ experience in implementation services and transition management.  

He was previously director, transition management, Asia Pacific for BNY Mellon, and held senior implementation services positions at RBC Dexia and BNP Paribas before that. 

Birch has 15 years’ experience in the finance industry, and will look after building new business, focusing on investment partnerships with large funds. 

Implementation services Asia Pacific managing director John R Moore said growth in Russell’s transition management business will be more than 30 per cent in 2014 within Australasia. 

This is being driven by a trend towards pure agency models, he said. 

The firm’s institutional business won more than $3 billion worth of mandates in the year to date in master trust, implemented consulting and asset management services.