AustralianSuper boosts New York office with senior private markets appointments

NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AustralianSuper, Australia's largest pension fund, has boosted its New York office with several major new hires as it targets increasing its exposure to US markets.

The new staff will help the US$180 billion fund manage exceptional growth after experiencing record net cash inflows for the 2022 financial year. AustralianSuper's assets have grown an average of 19% per year over the past 10 years on the back of member contributions and strong investment performance.

Joining the AustralianSuper team are:

• Jennie Rose – Senior Investment Director, Private Debt, who joins most recently from Barings' infrastructure debt team with over 20 years' experience in private debt markets. Ms. Rose has responsibility for originating, building and managing AustralianSuper's burgeoning global infrastructure debt portfolio.
  
  
  
• Aaron Witte – Senior Portfolio Manager, Private Equity, and Dominic Borrasch – Portfolio Manager, Private Equity, who both join the Fund from leading boutique private equity manager SwanCap Partners. Both Dominic and Aaron have deep expertise in the North American market, having successfully built a PE investment platform that spans PE fund, co-investment and co-underwrite activities. The duo will be focused on expanding AustralianSuper's growing North American Private Equity portfolio.
  
  
  
• Emilce Song – Investment Director, Infrastructure, who joins AustralianSuper from Macquarie Capital.  Ms. Song has over 15 years' experience in executing and managing North American renewable, conventional power and infrastructure sector investments.  At AustralianSuper, Ms. Song will focus on building and managing the infrastructure equity portfolio with a focus on power and renewables and energy transition opportunities.
  
  
  
• Kang Peng – Associate Director, Infrastructure, joins AustralianSuper with expertise in infrastructure investments within the North American and APAC regions, most recently with Transurban Group where he was involved in over US$15 billion in transactions. At AustralianSuper, Mr Peng will concentrate on the build-up of the North American infrastructure equity portfolio and provide coverage of various sub-sectors (including digital infrastructure, transport and energy transition).

AustralianSuper's Head of Private Equity, Terry Charalambous, is also now based in New York where he joins Head of American Infrastructure, Derek Chu.

'AustralianSuper is strategically building a team to help manage our existing US portfolio and also find new opportunities to invest to deliver long-term returns for members,' Mr Charalambous said. 'We are a growing fund looking for private market opportunities and now have a team of 15 senior investment professionals in the New York office, which was opened last year.'

The New York office is primarily focussed on investing in private markets and aims to have almost 100 colleagues within three years.

As a global active investor with a long-term outlook, AustralianSuper is seeking opportunities across the investment landscape as it grows its US portfolio. The Fund currently has US$51 billion invested in the US. This is split between US$30 billion in listed equities, US$16 billion in private markets and almost US$5.5 billion invested in fixed interest.

The opening of the US office follows the ongoing build out of the London team – which has specialist skills across private markets and is the home of the Fund's northern hemisphere trading desk. The UK team is on track to have a staff of over 150 investment professionals by 2026.

Mr Chu said AustralianSuper's growth trajectory and purpose driven approach was proving to be an attractive proposition for prospective team members.

'We've seen a lot of interest in what we are doing as an Australian fund here in New York and also globally,' Mr Chu said.

'AustralianSuper is looking for the best talent internationally to join our investment team across some of the world's most important capital markets.'

About AustralianSuper

AustralianSuper manages more than US$180 Billion (A$261 billion) in members' retirement savings on behalf of more than 2.7 million members from more than 398,000 businesses (as at 31 March 2022). One in 10 working Australians is a member of AustralianSuper, the nation's largest superannuation fund.

All figures in USD unless otherwise stated. USD/AUD – 1.45 as of 30 June 2022.

References to "AustralianSuper" or "the Fund" in this document are taken to mean AustralianSuper Pty Ltd, the AustralianSuper superannuation fund, AustralianSuper (UK) Ltd (UK company number 09949713, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority –Reference No 741471), AustralianSuper (US) LLC (a Delaware Limited Liability Company, file number 7398158), and any/or other related bodies corporate of AustralianSuper Pty Ltd.

Information included in this document is of a general nature only.

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SOURCE AustralianSuper