Russell Investments expands New Zealand operations

Russell Investments expands New Zealand operations

Industry expert Daniel Mussett appointed as head of consulting

AUCKLAND –December 5 2010: Global financial services firm Russell Investments is growing its New Zealand team, which provides innovation for clients in the key areas of investment consulting and investment management.

The firm has added several senior hires to its strong investment management team to help deliver solutions tailored to the needs of local investors.

Mark Blair, managing director of Russell Investments New Zealand, says the firm is committed to the New Zealand market and has strengthened the team to continue to develop services for local clients and underpin growth.

Daniel Mussett has been appointed head of investment consulting. Mr Mussett is returning to Russell after five years and will bring with him international experience in consulting. A specialist investment actuary, Mr Mussett has particular expertise in asset-liability management and governance for institutional investors.

Mr Mussett previously worked for two international consulting organisations in Switzerland as an international benefits and actuarial consultant and a senior investment consultant. Mr Mussett will consult directly to key clients including crown financial institutions, community trusts, superannuation schemes and new sectors.

Mr Mussett replaces Russell’s current head of consulting Alister van der Maas, who has been promoted to director of business operations. Mr Van der Maas joined Russell in August 2006, after working in the United Kingdom in various roles in transition management at Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers.

The consulting team will be further supported by newly-appointed consulting analyst Martin Boulanger who will provide the team with analytical and quantitative support.

“Alister has done a great job in getting the consulting practice to the strong position it is in today. I am confident Daniel can build on this success and his international experience will be another dimension to offer clients as we continue to anticipate their needs and deliver innovative solutions,” Mr Blair says. “Our clients value our objective, global perspective and our people and their abilities are key to keep solving their complex problems.”

Meanwhile David Buell has joined Russell as a client service analyst, responsible for supporting Russell’s relationships with funds clients in New Zealand. Before joining Russell, David was at IRG Equity Advisers as an investment adviser. In this role he advised on and executed investment decisions with a range of clients. Prior to this he was in the UK with Capita Financial Group as an assistant fund accountant and was employed as a contractor at TD Waterhouse; one of the UK's leading execution-only brokers.

“These additional team members will help us to continually innovate and meet the complex and challenging needs of our clients,” Mr Blair concluded.

About Russell Investments

Founded in 1936, Russell Investments is a global financial services firm that serves institutional investors, financial advisers and individuals in more than 40 countries. Over the course of its history, Russell’s innovations have come to define many of the practices that are standard in the investment world today, and have earned the company a reputation for excellence and leadership.

Through a unique combination of wide-ranging and inter-linked businesses, Russell delivers financial products, services and advice. A pioneer, Russell began its strategic pension fund consulting business in 1969 and today is trusted by many well-known worldwide institutions for investment advice. The firm has US$179.4 billion in assets under management (as of 31/03/10) in its investment funds, retirement products, and institutional funds, and is well recognised for its depth of research and quality of manager selection. Russell offers a comprehensive range of implementation services that helps institutional clients maximise their assets. The Russell Indexes calculates over 50,000 benchmarks daily covering 65 countries and more than 10,000 securities.

Russell is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA with offices in Amsterdam, Auckland, Johannesburg, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. For more information about how Russell helps to improve financial security for people, visit us at www.russell.co.nz

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