Bell bolsters research team with three key hires

Boutique investment firm Bell Asset Management (BAM) has announced a major expansion to its research team, appointing three senior analysts to the firm.

Joining BAM as global equities analysts are Darshana Nair Syama and Johnson Weng.

A former Goldman Sachs and HSBC alumnus, Bell welcomed Syama’s “solid experience in equity research and analysis”.

She joins Bell from Goldman Sachs’ Sydney office, notching up five years as a consumer, travel, retail, and gaming analyst at the multinational investment firm.

Joining Bell in late 2023, Syama reports directly to the firm’s chief investment officer, Ned Bell, tasked with helping to drive its core ‘Quality at a Reasonable Price’ investment framework.

Weng, who joined Bell last month, served a total of seven years with the New Zealand-based specialist investment manager Kiwi Wealth, most recently as portfolio manager for global equities.

Bell recognised Weng’s “insights and analysis” in the global equities space, which it said would “play a pivotal role in shaping BAM’s investment strategies and idea generation”.

“Johnson’s strong understanding of IT and communication services sectors, coupled with his experience at Kiwi Wealth and Mercer, positions him as a key asset in Bell Asset Management’s expanding investment team,” the firm said in a statement.

Also joining BAM last month is Katrina Lee, appointed to the firm as an equity analyst.

Lee most recently served as an analyst at Vesparum Capital, a data science-focused investment firm specialising in capital raising for public and private companies.

Bell said the appointment of Lee highlights the firm’s commitment to fostering young talent and further integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into its investment philosophy.

CIO Ned Bell said the firm was “thrilled to have Darshana, Johnson, and Katrina join our team”.

“Their expertise and knowledge of key industry sectors will enhance our existing investment team and strengthen our research capabilities.”

Bell said the expansion of its investment team, which now counts 11 members, underscores its commitment to “robust fundamental bottom-up company research”.

“Bell Asset Management’s overall philosophy is to identify companies with sustainable competitive advantages that can consistently generate above average returns on capital.”