Former Morningstar co-head of fund research Australasia, Chris Douglas, will reprise his Auckland-based role after a two-year stint at the company’s Chicago HQ.
Douglas will replace Kathryn Young as director of manager research ratings Asia-Pacific, who departs Morningstar after just four months in the position.
Young joined the US arm of the research house in 2007 as a data analyst, relocating to Sydney in 2012 as Morningstar manager analyst. She was appointed Morningstar director of manager research ratings Asia-Pacific this May.
Young will remain in the Australian financial services industry with an as-yet undisclosed organisation.
After almost eight years with Morningstar based in Sydney and Auckland, Douglas was seconded to group’s cultural home of Chicago in 2014, assuming the role of regional data leader Americas.
“Chris will be responsible for leading our manager research and ratings team and activities in Australia and New Zealand, reporting to Grant Kennaway, our global practice leader, manager research,” a Morningstar spokesperson said.
Douglas returns to Auckland in October.
Meanwhile, AMP Capital Australia has appointed Vanessa Wallace as chair ahead of the departure this month of long-standing incumbent, Brian Clark.
In a statement Clark said: “After joining the AMP Capital Holdings board as a non-executive director, Vanessa has made an impressive contribution, drawing on her extensive financial services experience as well as her previous engagement in advising AMP Capital at a leadership level a few years ago.”
It is understood AMP Capital NZ is also close to naming a new head of investment strategy following the resignation of Keith Poore in April. Poore formally departed AMP Capital at the end of June after almost five years at the group.
Also last week, BNP Paribas Investment Partners (BNP IP) hired former BlackRock executive James Langlands for the newly created position of head of advice business for Australia and New Zealand.
Langlands will be responsible for expanding the funds under management of BNP IP – the investment management arm of the French-headquartered global bank – in Australasia.
In a release BNP Paribas Investment Partners Australia and New Zealand chief executive, David Grybas, said: “[Langlands’] wealth of experience will be instrumental in broadening the availability of our investment solutions in Australian and Global Equities, Emerging Markets, Global Fixed Income and Alternatives to the advised segment.”