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April 18, 2011

Russell Consulting team expands in Asia-Pacific

Frank Russo appointed as senior consultant in Australia; Trevor Persaud appointed as new practice leader for consulting and advisory services in ASEAN, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan

SYDNEY, April 18, 2011 - Russell Investments' global consulting division has further strengthened its presence across the Asia-Pacific region with two new key hires.

In Australia Russell Consulting has appointed Frank Russo as a senior consultant. Mr Russo brings over 20 years' industry experience across a variety of sectors and joins Russell from independent asset consultant Access Capital Advisers. As part of this role, Mr Russo served on the board of the AMP Infrastructure Fund of India and as the investor representative on several investment advisory committees. Mr Russo has also previously held senior positions at Equipsuper and Westpac Banking Corporation. Mr Russo will commence his position with Russell Consulting on 2 May and will be based in Melbourne.

Russell Consulting provides advice and thought leadership on the planning and management of investment programs for large investors such as superannuation funds, charitable institutions, insurance companies and family offices.

Greg Liddell, Director, Consulting & Advisory Services in Australia, said the expansion of Russell's consulting business followed business growth and an increased demand for more sophisticated portfolio solutions.

“Russell Consulting is growing its business as institutions come to appreciate our capabilities in dealing with complexity. Institutions are realising the importance of remaining abreast of global best practices in areas such as portfolio construction, governance, risk and after-tax investing. Our Enhanced Asset Allocation service continues to gain traction as clients seek practical responses to the impacts of trends such as rising oil prices and the high Australian dollar,” he said.

In Asia Trevor Persaud has been appointed as practice leader for consulting and advisory services in ASEAN, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In his role, Persaud will lead the strategic development and delivery of investment consulting services for Russell's clients in the region, encompassing investment advisory, asset allocation, strategic asset tilting, risk management and portfolio construction. Persaud is based in Singapore and reports to Mahendran Nathan, chief executive ASEAN*, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India.

Prior to joining Russell, Persaud worked with Prudential Asset Management in Singapore where he was head of investment risk oversight and performance. In this role, he was responsible for developing and implementing an effective regional framework for oversight of their investments. He has also held senior positions with Insight Investments, Schroders and MSCI. Persaud has more than 17 years' experience in investment oversight and monitoring.

Janine Baldridge, Russell's global head of consulting and advisory services said, “Russell is responding to increased demand in the Asia-Pacific region for premium investment advisory services, with the continued build-out of our consulting capabilities. Increasingly, Asia-Pacific clients are looking for consulting and investment advisory services that are flexible and backed by a deep pool of intellectual resources. The continued growth of the global consulting business means we can better assist clients with innovative and tailored solutions in Asia-Pacific.”

Including the appointments announced today, Russell has now made three senior consulting hires in the Asia-Pacific region over the past few months. Russell Investments appointed Jiro Shimpo as director of alternative investment consulting for Japan and Northeast Asia in late 2010.

*ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which comprises following countries — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.