Natixis hire boosts private wealth expertise

Natixis Investment Managers’ Australian arm has added new muscle to its private wealth division, announcing the appointment of Bruno Santos as the firm’s new distribution director.

Santos, who joins Natixis from Pengana Capital Group, will oversee the firm’s private wealth relationships as well as its advisory team across Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, tasked with enhancing client services across the three southern states.

In his most recent role at Pengana, Santos served a nearly three-year stint as distribution manager for Victoria and Tasmania, and two years as distribution head for Queensland.

He also previously held senior roles at Russell Investments, Affinia, AIA, and AMP.

Santos’ extensive industry experience has “equipped him with the skills to connect investment managers to the highly tailored investment strategies for private wealth and grow the scalable solutions required for wholesale and retail channels”, Natixis said in a statement.

Louise Watson, country head of Australia and New Zealand extensive expertise in private wealth and his robust network will deepen Natixis IM’s connection with Australian advisers and investors, ensuring they have access to our best-of-breed investment managers globally.”

Santos said he was “thrilled” to join the firm, enabling, he said, to “leverage my experience to complement what Natixis IM has already built in the wholesale market”.

“My focus will be on lifting our relationships in the Southern states, ensuring that clients have great service and access to the world-class capabilities on offer through our affiliate managers.”

The current wholesale solutions from Natixis IM include the Loomis Sayles Global Equity and Global Bond Funds, the Vaughan Nelson Global Equity SMID Fund, and in Australian Equities, all of the IML Funds.

Natixis IM, a global investment heavyweight, oversees more than US$1.3 trillion (AU$1.9 trillion) in assets under management.

The firm late last year was also granted approval to expand its Australian financial services licence (AFSL) to include retail investors, incorporating the distribution team of Investors Mutual Limited (IML), its local affiliate.