Deals and People July 12, 2011

Len Brennan Named Russell CEO

July 12, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Russell Investments has announced the appointment of Len Brennan as president and chief executive officer.
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According to Russell, Brennan succeeds Andrew Doman, who will become chairman of the board. Ed Zore, who served as chairman since 2008, will remain on the board as a director. Brennan will also be a director on Russell’s board.

Based in Seattle, Brennan recently re-joined Russell as chief executive of the EMEA business, a position he will continue to hold in addition to his new global responsibilities. He is expected to spend a significant portion of his time in the firm’s London office as well.

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According to the announcement, Brennan has more than twenty years of experience at Russell, dating back to 1985, and has held a number of senior management positions, most recently as managing director of Individual Investor Services. He previously managed Russell’s Toronto and London offices and, notably, launched the firm’s first multi-manager investment funds outside the United States. In 2005, Brennan joined Rainier Investment Management, Inc., where he served as president and CEO for six years.

“My priorities for Russell are to constantly evolve our business in order to meet the changing needs of our clients globally, while preserving the DNA that has made this company exceptional for 75 years,” Brennan said, in the announcement. “I am committed to ensuring that our core values and purpose as an organization remain unchanging guideposts for everything that we do.”

“I want to thank Andrew Doman for his many contributions to the company,” said Brennan. “Russell is clearly a stronger and better positioned firm than it was when Andrew joined us.”

During his two and a half years as president and CEO, Doman was able to expand the firm’s global footprint, grow its product and service offerings, and help re-ignite the firm’s spirit of innovation, according to the announcement. In his new role, Russell will continue to benefit from Doman’s experience, knowledge and strategic points of view.

“I believe we have found in Len the right successor to take Russell to the next stage of the firm’s growth,” said Doman. “Len is one of the architects of what Russell is today. The rest of the board and I are confident that he possesses the right mix of visionary leadership and ties to Russell’s rich legacy to effectively lead the organization forward.”

-Sara Kelly 

Products July 12, 2011

Aberdeen Launches Asia Property Fund of Funds

July 12, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Limited, the Asian arm of Aberdeen Asset Management, has announced the release of its third closed-ended property fund of funds.
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According to a recent press release, the new fund will target institutional investors, and seek to create a well-diversified portfolio of best-in-class property funds in the region, from mature markets in Japan, Australia and Singapore, to emerging ones in China and India.

The fund, which will invest across the risk spectrum from core to opportunistic strategies, will be managed by a Singapore-based team of five professionals led by Puay Ju Kang, Head of Property – Asia Pacific. They will identify the right manager, best strategy and structure for each market depending on its property cycle. The target gearing is 50-60% and the fund aims to deliver 13-17% in returns per annum.

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“Given Asia’s growth potential, it’s essential we have a presence in the region, both to meet demand for dedicated products as well as for global ones, where a regional element will greatly improve the overall risk-return profile,” said Jon Lekander, Global Head of Indirect Property, in the press release. “With this latest product, we further affirm our belief in the investment opportunities in Asia and our ability to make the best of them.”

 

-Sara Kelly 

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