River and Mercantile appoints Tim Horan to lead Australian and New Zealand business

River and Mercantile’s Australian unit trust launched in conjunction with appointment
London: 22 June 2018: London based investment management specialist River and Mercantile Asset Management LLP (River and Mercantile) has appointed former Westpac executive and Australian rugby union international Tim Horan to Managing Director of its newly launched Australia and New Zealand operation.
Mr Horan’s appointment coincides with the launch of River and Mercantile’s first Australian registered unit trust, available to institutional investors from this month.
Mr Horan joins River and Mercantile from Westpac where he headed the sports and entertainment business in Private and Premium Banking for more than seven years. Prior to this, Tim was head of capital raising at Meridian Funds Management, responsible for raising more than A$75 million in unlisted property funds.
In his role leading the Australian and New Zealand operation of River and Mercantile, Tim will be responsible for establishing and growing the business in the region.
“I am delighted to be joining River and Mercantile at this exciting stage in its global growth. The unique, consultative approach which the business applies to investment strategy held strong appeal for me,” Mr Horan said.
“River and Mercantile genuinely listens to its clients and is focused only on delivering effective solutions and products that meet those clients’ needs. That personal and considered approach is not common, and I welcome the opportunity to utilise my experience and relationships to build the business in this market.”
River and Mercantile’s Chief Executive of Asset Management, James Barham said, “Australia and New Zealand are key strategic markets in our global development. Since 2013, we have had clients in Australia and New Zealand, but with increasing demand for our services, we recognise the importance of having a greater presence in this region with dedicated leadership.
“We are exceptionally pleased that Tim is joining the business to establish our office and build out our relationships across the Institutional, Wholesale and Family Trust markets.  Tim needs no introduction and we have been incredibly impressed with his business acumen, his insight and his leadership. It is clear that his skills on the pitch have been quickly transferred to the business world and we’re confident that Tim is the perfect fit for River and Mercantile, both in culture and attitude. His passion, drive, humility and real desire to engage with people are qualities we value highly and we have no doubt Tim is the right person to develop our business and build the team here.”
The River and Mercantile Global High Alpha Fund (the Fund), launched this month, offers institutional investors access to River and Mercantile’s highly rated Global High Alpha strategy through a daily dealing Australian-regulated pooled vehicle.
The Fund, which seeks out the best investment opportunities globally across developed and emerging markets, utilises River and Mercantile’s successful and long established investment philosophy, ‘PVT’ (Potential, Valuation and Timing)*.
“The launch of the first River and Mercantile unit trust in Australia represents an important milestone in River and Mercantile’s rich history,” Mr Barham said.
“We have been working collaboratively with the investment consulting community and institutional investors in Australia and New Zealand since 2013, designing truly actively managed products that meet the genuine needs and investment appetite of this region. Responding to increasing demand we are very proud to now be able to offer this fund to a broader audience.”
The Fund, which already counts the Australian legal community’s A$3.7bn+ superannuation fund, legalsuper, as its first Australian investor, is available to Institutional clients in the region, including Trustees of superannuation (“super”) funds, pooled super trusts, family offices, foundations and endowments. River and Mercantile will act as investment manager of the Fund, which has been launched in collaboration with Equity Trustees Limited in their role as responsible entity.
River and Mercantile already provides active investment management to Australian and New Zealand domiciled clients, with segregated institutional mandates totalling A$1bn as at the end of March 2018.