Mint Asset Management founder, Rebecca Thomas, has stepped back as chief of firm’s parent group, Amplifi, with Kirsten Boldarin to assume the leadership position.
Boldarin joined Mint early in 2023 in the newly created head of distribution role after more than a decade spent working with a high net-worth investment firm in the UK.
Thomas will remain as executive director.
Amplifi formed in 2021 via a joint venture between Mint and Auckland-based private equity firm, Ascentro Capital Partners, to create a diversified financial services group. Since launch, Amplifi bought two advisory firms – the Nelson-based Tōtara Wealth Management and Auckland business, Prosperity Partners.
While Tōtara remains as a stand-alone brand, Prosperity was folded into the Amplifi-originated Sage Wealth Management business.
Boldarin said in a statement: “It’s a privilege to take on the role of CEO at Amplifi Group. I’m excited to lead our teams across Mint, Sage, and Tōtara, and to work in close partnership with Rebecca in her role as executive director as we continue to strengthen the business and deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients.”
She also joined the Amplifi board this month in place of Mint general manager, Simon Haworth.
Elsewhere last week, Fisher Funds chief financial officer, Andrew Donaldson, resigned to end a two-and-a-half year career at the fourth-largest NZ retail investment shop.
Donaldson came to Fisher in January 2023 following more than 20 years in senior corporate finance roles in the UK, Australia and NZ. He replaced long-time incumbent, Jody Kaye, as CFO amid a leadership shake-up at the manager as new chief, Simon Power, took the reins from Bruce McLachlan.
Kaye was repurposed to manage the transition of new Fisher acquisition, Kiwi Wealth, before moving to chief product and strategy officer last year in another executive reshuffle.
Prior to Fisher Donaldson served for about three-and-a-half years as CFO for Australian wireless telecom outfit, Axicom. His résumé also includes CFO spots for TVNZ, Genesis Energy and Telecom (now Spark).
A Fisher spokesperson said finance head, Jonathan Hayes, “has agreed to step in as acting CFO while recruit for a permanent replacement”.
Fisher manages about $22 billion of retail money across three KiwiSaver schemes and other funds.
Meanwhile, the Alvarium/Pathfinder collective has hired David Lewis as chief investment officer, replacing Wayne Ross, who has held the role on an interim basis since February 2024. Ross, who came to Alavarium after the group bought the Newton Ross advisory firm in 2021, stepped in as CIO as Pathfinder co-founder, Paul Brownsey, left the business.
Lewis left Milford Asset Management in 2021 after an eight-year stint with the now third-largest retail funds house in NZ, where he was deputy chief investment officer.
Previously, Lewis held investment or research positions with Merrill Lynch, Principal Global Investors and BT Investment Management in Sydney.
Post Milford, he worked part-time as a research director for the London-based Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute for about 10 months as well as chairing the Aotearoa NZ Stewardship Code governance committee for two years.
Recently, Lewis also finished a masters degree in sustainability leadership offered by the UK Cambridge University.
John Berry, Pathfinder chief, said in a release that Lewis provided the “technical excellence in portfolio management, strong commercial acumen to help shape our future strategy, and a genuine passion for the impact that investing can have in the real world”
Alvarium-Pathfinder has more than $1 billion of funds under management.
Pathfinder is also looking to hire an Australasian equities portfolio manager.