Meet some of our key team
members

Job title: Head of Business Development
Office location: Sydney
Started at Russell: January 2010
Years in financial services: 12

Career highlight so far: Business Development Manager of the year in 2005 working for ING.

A typical day in my job: Working with financial advisers in sourcing a role for Russell funds in the clients' financial plans.

My first job was... David Jones sales assistant.

My ideal retirement: Enjoying quality time with my family, seeing the rest of Africa, drinking wine that is older than me.

Job title: SMSF development manager
Office location: Melbourne
Started at Russell: 2007
Years in financial services: 15

Career highlight so far: Surviving the GFC and ramifications, dealing with a variety of great people and of course working in a great organisation like Russell!!

A typical day in my job: Involves being out and about visiting financial planners and accountants helping them with a range of issues from asset allocation to practice management. Also demonstrating the benefits of using Russell investment options in SMSF portfolios.

My first job was... A paper round that I had to take over from my brother once he decided that riding his bike for four hours wasn't worth the $10 he was making!

My ideal retirement: Would be the Aussie sharemarket back at 6800! And somewhere warm!

Job title: Business Development Adviser
Office location: Sydney
Started at Russell: January 2010
Years in financial services: 3

Career highlight so far: Being part of a team of Russell Associates who are all excellent at what they do, have very strong values and great people to be around inside and outside of work. This highlight has been emphasised by the experience of working inside this team in what has been a very choppy episode in the markets over the last few years and seeing our team step up to the task to ensure adviser service satisfaction has continued to be top notch while having fun doing this at the same time.

A typical day in my job: My role consists of reaching out to advisers over the phone that are new or unfamiliar to doing business with Russell, and ensuring they are comfortable with their knowledge of our core competencies, support resources, and the solutions available to assist them achieving the investment and retirement objectives for their clients. To this extent on a daily basis I act as a conduit to the expertise Russell has under the bonnet and ensure our thought leadership and communications are heard by the advisory market by making outbound calls, taking inbound calls and connecting via electronic and hard mail.

My first job was... Rugby Coach for the Cranbrook Junior School 1st XV. There is nothing like school boy rugby for a bit of inspiration… winning is everything and nothing outside of school sport is important.

My ideal retirement: It is a cruel question given how far away it is! Assuming I save well between now and then, it would ideally be very active with friends, family and good wine. A non time constricted drive around Australia is something I have always wanted to do with a few surf boards on the roof. Plenty of ski trips in the Swiss Alps traversing across to Italy would also get a tick. But ultimately ending up at our family beach shack in Palm Beach on the water in Pittwater with the surf crashing in the background, rod cast out the front and with the ping pong table in the garage and friends eager to step up to the challenge.

Job title: Investment Specialist - Intermediaries
Office location: Sydney
Started at Russell: May 2011
Years in financial services: 19

Career highlight so far: Aside from Russell Investments - working as a portfolio manager and later private wealth adviser, having successfully navigated some of the worst financial market crises in the past 20 years, from the Latin debt crisis through to the Asian currency crisis, tech crash, Sep 11, and the GFC. All the experience gained during these times is worth a thousand textbooks!!

A typical day in my job: Typically starting the day with an overview of market developments locally and overseas, scanning updates and research from the Russell global network, Liaising with Russell's investment team about portfolio positioning and the retail sales team about issues concerning advisers, developing briefing and presentation material to assist advisers and their clients, portfolio analysis and media enquiries, and attendance at dealer group and adviser meetings to brief them on Russell's performance and investment outlook.

My first job was... Graduate Economist in the Macroeconomic Analysis Group at the Commonwealth Dept of Finance, Canberra.

My ideal retirement: Living near Cottesloe Beach, (or anywhere warm and near the sea!), surrounded by family and good friends, and continuing to keep my mind engaged, living with a purpose and staying actively involved in my community.