2024 Oceania Institutional Investor Roundtable

Ben Samild

CIO, Future Fund

Ben Samild was appointed Chief Investment Officer of the Future Fund in August 2023, having previously served as DCIO, Portfolio Construction.

As CIO, Ben leads the Future Fund’s investment team investing A$250bn across all asset classes and geographies, with a particular focus on stewarding the Fund’s joined-up whole portfolio approach.

He joined the Future Fund in October 2013, as Director, Alternatives, following a 10 year career in the hedge fund industry, and 4 years as Head of Investment Strategy at LUCRF Super.

Ben is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments.

Ben completed a 6 year undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne majoring in behavioural finance, psychology and history, and has a Masters of Applied Finance.

Thomas Deinet

Executive Director, SBAI

Thomas Deinet was appointed Executive Director of the SBAI (previously known as the HFSB) in 2008. In 2007, Thomas joined the working group to project manage the development of practice standards proposed by 14 leading international alternative investment managers that led to the establishment of the SBAI.

Prior to joining the SBAI, he was a senior manager at Oliver Wyman, where he extensively worked with major financial institutions in Europe covering asset management as well as corporate and investment banking. Thomas also worked as an analyst in energy trading for a major commodities trading firm.

Thomas is a graduate of the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, with a major in industrial engineering and holds an MSc from Purdue University, USA. Thomas is a CFA charterholder.

Ross Barry

CIO, Spirit Super

Ross was the Chief Investment Officer at Tasplan and MTAA Super from 2020 until both funds merged to become Spirit Super in April 2021. Ross has over 25 years’ experience as an institutional investor and has worked with several of Australia’s largest super funds. He’s a specialist in private market investing and a leading proponent of active asset ownership. Ross was previously a senior investment leader for First State Super and Watson Wyatt Australia.

Joe Dowling

Global Head, Blackstone Alternative Asset Management

Joe Dowling is a Senior Managing Director and the Global Head of BAAM, where he oversees and leads all of BAAM’s investment activities.

Prior to joining Blackstone in 2021, Mr. Dowling led Brown University’s endowment, including as Chief Executive Officer from July 2018 to July 2020 and Chief Investment Officer from June 2013 to July 2018. Mr. Dowling also served as interim Chief Financial Officer of the University from May 2019 until January 2020, leading all finance and treasury functions as well as cash and debt management.

Before joining Brown University, he was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Narragansett Asset Management, where he managed funds for institutions, pension funds, and endowments.

Mr. Dowling has also worked for First Boston and Tudor Investments. Mr. Dowling has a B.A. from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Allison Hill

State CIO, QIC

Allison Hill joined QIC’s State Investments (SI) team in January 2018. The SI team is responsible for managing approximately $58B in assets on behalf of the State of Queensland.

Allison is the State Chief Investment Officer within the SI Team and she has direct responsibility for all the portfolios managed on behalf of the State of Queensland.

Allison has over 28 years’ experience in investment management and financial markets. Prior to joining QIC, Allison was the Chief Executive Officer at DMP Asset Management, where she oversaw the investment process and asset consulting practice. Prior to this, Allison spent 11 years at Frontier Advisors as a Senior Consultant. Allison was the lead consultant for several of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, was the Head of Debt and Alternatives Research and a member of Frontier’s investment and leadership committees.

Allison has a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University and holds several post graduate qualifications including a Graduate Diploma in Management from the AGSM and is a GAICD. Allison is also a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW).

Ben Samild

CIO, Future Fund

Ben Samild was appointed Chief Investment Officer of the Future Fund in August 2023, having previously served as DCIO, Portfolio Construction.

As CIO, Ben leads the Future Fund’s investment team investing A$250bn across all asset classes and geographies, with a particular focus on stewarding the Fund’s joined-up whole portfolio approach.

He joined the Future Fund in October 2013, as Director, Alternatives, following a 10 year career in the hedge fund industry, and 4 years as Head of Investment Strategy at LUCRF Super.

Ben is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments.

Ben completed a 6 year undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne majoring in behavioural finance, psychology and history, and has a Masters of Applied Finance.

Dr Guy Debelle

Adviser to the Investment Committee , Australian Retirement Trust

Dr Guy Debelle is an adviser to the Investment Committee of Australian Retirement Trust and a non-executive director at Tivan. He is also co-chair of the ASFI Taxonomy Technical Experts Group developing the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy for the Australian economy.

Guy was the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia from 2016 until 2022 and prior to this was Assistant Governor (Financial Markets) from 2007-2016. After leaving the RBA, Guy worked at Fortescue Future Industries as CFO and non-executive director.

Dr Debelle has previously held roles at the International Monetary Fund, Bank for International Settlements and the Australian Treasury. He has been a visiting Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is currently an honorary Professor of Economics at the University of Adelaide. Guy graduated with a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the University of Adelaide and gained a PhD in Economics from MIT.

Tanya Branwhite

Head of Portfolio Construction, NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp)

Tanya Branwhite joined TCorp in December 2018 as the Head of Portfolio Construction. She oversees the team which develops robust investment strategies, using asset allocation and factor strategies to deliver client outcomes. This team is central to our investment management approach, fund design and implementation.

Tanya joined TCorp from the Future Fund, Australia’s sovereign wealth fund, where her final role was Director Market Insights and Portfolio implications. She was tasked with strengthening the Future Fund’s whole of portfolio investment approach through extracting return enhancing information and transforming this into cohesive insights around the economic cycle, investment markets’ return and risk dynamics in pursuit of better portfolio decision making.

Tanya has worked in financial markets and asset management including senior roles at Macquarie Group, Credit Suisse Asset Management, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup Global Asset management.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of NSW, a Master of Finance from the University of Technology Sydney and a Master in Finance and Management from INSEAD. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Russell Clarke

CIO, Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC)

Russell joined VFMC in May 2017 as Chief Investment Officer (CIO) where he is responsible for overseeing the management of more than $72bn on behalf of a number of Victorian public authorities. Russell joined VFMC from Mercer where he was the Global CIO (Mainstream Assets) since 2011 and CIO (Pacific) since 2003. This role saw him overseeing all discretionary equity, listed property, fixed income and multi-asset portfolios worldwide and was specifically responsible on a day-to-day basis for all portfolios based in the Pacific region. Russell also chaired the Mainstream Assets Global Investment Committee and Global Strategic Research Committees. Prior to this, he spent six years in Mercer Australia as an investment consultant and head of Investment Research.

Russell also gained eight years of investment and financial services experience working as manager of the investment research function for one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, UniSuper, and as head of Investment Performance Analytics for a major fund manager.

Russell holds a bachelor of economics from Macquarie University. He is a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and a senior associate of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, and has lectured and tutored in investment subjects for both organisations.

Ben Samild

CIO, Future Fund

Ben Samild was appointed Chief Investment Officer of the Future Fund in August 2023, having previously served as DCIO, Portfolio Construction.

As CIO, Ben leads the Future Fund’s investment team investing A$250bn across all asset classes and geographies, with a particular focus on stewarding the Fund’s joined-up whole portfolio approach.

He joined the Future Fund in October 2013, as Director, Alternatives, following a 10 year career in the hedge fund industry, and 4 years as Head of Investment Strategy at LUCRF Super.

Ben is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments.

Ben completed a 6 year undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne majoring in behavioural finance, psychology and history, and has a Masters of Applied Finance.

Alexandra Campbell

Deputy CIO and Head of Private Markets , Cbus Super Fund

Alexandra Campbell is the Deputy CIO and Head of Private Markets for Cbus Super Fund, supporting the CIO in managing a A$90 billion portfolio invested globally across all major asset classes. Alexandra also leads the private markets team, with A$25 billion invested in infrastructure, property and private equity assets. Alexandra works closely with the investment team and the investment committee to set and implement strategies to drive superior long-term returns for members, while also responding to both short term challenges and opportunities. Cbus invests through a range of structures, including directly, pooled funds and bespoke arrangements.

Alexandra has extensive experience in the private markets and has developed investment strategies for global funds, undertaken and advised on major transactions, managed both public and private funds and represented the funds’ ownership interests in assets and on boards in North America, Europe and Australia.

Kate Misic

Head of Alternative Investments and Real Assets, Telstra Super

Kate Misic, Head of Alternative Investments and Real Assets, joined Telstra Super in May 2010. Telstra Super is an Australian corporate superannuation fund with around 85,000 members and over A$25b under management. The fund has defined benefit, accumulation and allocated pension divisions within the fund. Kate is responsible for the Property, Infrastructure, Opportunities, Hedge Fund and Private Markets programs. Kate has had more than 20 years of experience in investment manager research and performance analysis. Prior to joining Telstra Super, Kate was Senior Portfolio Analyst for the Australian Equities funds at Warakirri. Kate also spent time at Frontier Investment Consulting, a leading asset consultant and Wilshire Associates, a Private Equity specialist.

Kate is a CFA Charterholder. Kate co-authored Portfolio Management for Institutional Investors in CFA Level III Curriculum 2020 (2019). Kate is Past President, CFA Society Melbourne and Past Chair of the Global Investment Performance Standards Asset Owner Subcommittee. Kate also completed the Company Directors Course Diploma provided by the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment provided by FINSIA and a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) at the Australian National University.

James Waldron

Head of Credit , Future Fund

James has been with the Future Fund since 2009 and currently heads the Credit team, which invests across a broad range of global fixed income and credit-focused mandates across each of the funds managed by the Agency. These include liquid and illiquid investments across a broad spectrum of geographies and risk types. In his time at the Agency James has also been responsible for management of cash and hedge fund investments.

Prior to joining the Future Fund, James was an Analyst in the Equity Capital Markets team at Macquarie Capital, advising on a number of equity and hybrid mandates.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Information Systems from the University of Melbourne and is a CFA charterholder.

Thomas Deinet

Executive Director, SBAI

Thomas Deinet was appointed Executive Director of the SBAI (previously known as the HFSB) in 2008. In 2007, Thomas joined the working group to project manage the development of practice standards proposed by 14 leading international alternative investment managers that led to the establishment of the SBAI.

Prior to joining the SBAI, he was a senior manager at Oliver Wyman, where he extensively worked with major financial institutions in Europe covering asset management as well as corporate and investment banking. Thomas also worked as an analyst in energy trading for a major commodities trading firm.

Thomas is a graduate of the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, with a major in industrial engineering and holds an MSc from Purdue University, USA. Thomas is a CFA charterholder.