Russell Investments hires head for Asia consulting team

Russell Investments has appointed former Prudential Asset Management executive Trevor Persaud as practice leader for consulting and advisory services in the region in a newly created role.

The move forms part of the Seattle-based firm’s drive to boost its service offerings to Asian institutional investors.

Based in Singapore, Persaud will head the development of consulting services for clients in Asean, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India, reporting to Mahendran Nathan, Russell’s chief executive for those markets. His service range covers investment advisory, asset allocation, risk management and portfolio construction, with a particular focus on governance, risk and compliance.

Nathan notes that Russell has been approached by several large Asian institutions recently seeking consulting and advisory services in governance and risk management in portfolio implementation.

Growing numbers of investors in the region are seeking to adopt best practice in line with global standards, which have been raised to comply with tighter regulations in markets such as the US and Europe.

Over the past two years, Russell has recommitted to its consulting business. This move enables it to provide a wider range of services to institutional investors, providing them with a one-stop-shop for consulting, allocations, research and data.

Persaud has more than 17 years' experience in the investment industy, most recently at Prudential AM in Singapore, where he led the development and implementation of a regional framework for the oversight of the firm’s investments.