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Our in-house asset management team of 14 people includes specialist equity and fixed income managers supported by research analysts and client portfolio dealers.

Leading our team are Darren Thompson, Head of Asset Management, and Chris Haynes, Head of Equities, who together have more than 60 years of investment market experience. The team also includes three specialists through our partnership with EightBays Investment Management, and is supported by independent asset consultant Mercer Investments (Australia).

  • Darren Thompson

    Darren Thompson
    Chief Investment Officer

    B. Ecco, DipFinServ, GradDipFinPlan

    Darren has 30 years of experience as an investment director and portfolio manager. He co-founded boutique investment firm Northward Capital in 2007, where he was CEO and CIO, growing the business to a peak of about $3 billion in funds under management. Before that, Darren held roles at Insurance Australian Group (IAG) as Co-Head of Equities, and positions as Deutsche Bank and Burdett Buckeridge Young (BBY).

    Joined Equity Trustees: October 2018

  • Chris Haynes

    Chris Haynes
    Head of Equities, Asset Management

    BCom UNSW (Accounting, Finance and Systems), Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, DFP

    Chris brings more than 25 years of investment and portfolio experience to the team. Over his career, his Australian equities portfolios have consistently delivered consistent above-benchmark results at companies including Concord Capital, Northward Capital, Lendlease and Bankers Trust Australia.

    Chris jointly established and managed Concord Capital from its inception in 1999 through to its sale in 2010. During this time, he managed the growth of funds under management from $100 million to over $6.5 billion, delivering consistent top-quartile returns. After the business was sold to Invesco Australia, Chris was appointed Head of Equities/Portfolio Manager of the Australian Equities portfolio.

    Joined October 2018

  • Dilan Ashton

    Dilan Ashton
    General Manager, Responsible Investing

    B.Ec; B.Comm; Graduate Diploma Applied Finance

    Dilan brings over 13 years of financial services experience. She joined Equity Trustees from Warakirri where she worked in the business development team managing the group’s not-for-profit client base. Before this, she spent 10 years at JBWere, beginning her career in operations before moving into private wealth management as a senior analyst. During her time at JBWere, she was responsible for managing relationships across many charitable and not-for-profit clients.

    Joined Equity Trustees: September 2022

  • Paul Davoren

    Paul Davoren
    Deputy Head of Equities,
    Senior Investment Analyst

    BSc (Hons), Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment

    Paul has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He was previously a senior investment analyst at boutique fund manager Contango Asset Management for 13 years and a sell-side equity analyst with Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank for four years. His responsibilities included analysing and investing in a large range of ASX-listed stocks, adding considerable value to the portfolios he serviced.

    Joined Equity Trustees: 2017

  • Hugh Cameron

    Hugh Cameron
    Portfolio Manager, Equities

    B.Ec

    Hugh has more than 30 years of experience in financial markets. He was previously a senior investment analyst at Intrinsic Investment Management and spent more than 17 years with Goldman Sachs JBWere Group where he was a Partner and Executive Director in both Melbourne and London. Before this, Hugh held positions at various stockbroking firms in Melbourne and London, with roles ranging from the trading floor of the Melbourne Stock Exchange to investment research and institutional advice.

    Joined Equity Trustees: July 2015

  • Grant Mundell

    Grant Mundell
    Investment Specialist,
    Philanthropy & Asset Management

    BBus (Marketing), SIA Diploma of Finance

    Grant joined Equity Trustees as an investment specialist in philanthropy, servicing a range of for-purpose organisations. Before joining Equity Trustees, Grant spent 23 years in the finance industry, predominantly in the institutional equities market. He spent 16 years at Deutsche Bank, where he was responsible for large domestic and foreign institutional fund managers, largely focused on Australian equities. Grant’s role enables him to combine his professional investment expertise with his passion for the for-purpose sector.

    Joined Equity Trustees: September 2019

  • Siew Wong

    Siew Wong
    Client Portfolio Manager and Dealer

    B.Ec ; Grad Dip Banking & Finance

    Siew joined Equity Trustees as part of the acquisition and integration of the ANZ Trustees business. She has 25 years of experience in funds management and trustee investment services, and more than 15 years of experience managing portfolios at all levels, ranging from common funds to trusts and client portfolios. She is involved in model portfolio management and is responsible for dealing across all common funds and mandates. Siew is also the secretary to the Asset Allocation Committee and Management Investment Committee.

    Joined Equity Trustees: 2014

  • Thi Doan

    Thi Doan
    Investment Analyst, Equities

    CFA, B.Bus (Hons), MFin

    Before joining Equity Trustees six years ago, Thi was an investment analyst with Melbourne-based boutique asset consultant firm Atchison Consultants, where he was responsible for quantitative analysis, manager selection and portfolio construction across all asset classes. He was also responsible for financial modelling across the direct property spectrum, including single direct assets (office and property), residential property development and unlisted property trusts.

    Joined Equity Trustees: 2013

  • Tim Gallagher

    Tim Gallagher
    Head of Mortgages, Asset Management

    Dip. Finance & Mortgage Broking Mngt; Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking

    Tim is responsible for undertaking all day-to-day mortgage lending operations and portfolio management of the Fund. Tim is a key individual within the business and was appointed as a Responsible Manager under the AFSL of Equity Trustees in 2017 and in December 2021 he was appointed the new role of Head of Mortgages.

    Tim is also an Accredited Finance Broker (Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia – Full Member) and has over 15 years’ experience in the finance industry, specialising in Residential, Commercial and Construction Property Finance, Credit and Lending Analysis and Portfolio Management.

    Prior to joining Equity Trustees, Tim was Senior Relationship Manager at Australian Securities Limited. Tim has also worked for various financial institutions including the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of Melbourne and RateSetter UK (peer-to-peer lender in the United Kingdom).

    Joined Equity Trustees: 2015

  • Steve Coffey

    Steve Coffey
    Senior Investment Analyst, Equities

    B. Bus (Accounting), Graduate Diploma Applied Finance & Investment, MBA

    Steve has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Before joining Equity Trustees, he was a member of UBS Asset Management’s Australian equity team. Prior to that he was a senior portfolio manager at QBE, where he was responsible for the group’s European, US and Australian equity portfolios.

    Joined Equity Trustees: 2020

  • Allister Lahood

    Alister Lahood
    Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income and Cash

    Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance, Diploma of Financial Markets and Diploma of Financial Advising

    Allister is responsible for co-managing high-quality Australian fixed income and cash portfolios and is also involved in the ongoing daily management of the Mortgage Income Fund. He has more than 15 years of experience in varied roles across the finance industry, having previously worked for eight years at the Treasury Corporation of Victoria, initially as a treasury dealer and later in an advisory capacity as treasury client relationship manager.

    Joined Equity Trustees: September 2019

  • Lindsay Skardoon

    Lindsay Skardoon
    Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income

    BSc. Grad Dip Banking & Finance, MAppFin, MBA

    Lindsay has just started at Equity Trustees. He was one of the founders of Spectrum Asset Management and th Portfolio Manager of the Spectrum Strategic Income Fund. Lindsay has over 30 years of investment experience where he has held senior roles in Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, Potter Warburg and Westpac.

    Lindsay has extensive experience in capital market syndications and orginisatons, hybrids, derivatives, swaps, credit derivatives, credit securities and bond trading. Lindasy was Vice Chairman of the Debt Capital Markets Committee and was a sub-Editor of the AFMA Dealers Handbook and Interest Rates Handbook. Lindsay holds a BSc Chemical Physics, Graduate Diploma Banking and Finance, Master Applied Finance and an MBA.

    Joined Equity Trustees: 1 May 2023
  • Parmen Prasad

    Parmen Prasad
    Investment Specialist, Client Relationship Manager

    B.MathFin, MAppFin

    Parmen is a key contact for existing clients and assists the broader team with ongoing business development. He has more than 15 years of experience in funds management and trustee services and has worked for companies including ING Investment Management, Investors Mutual, Nikko Asset Management, One Investment Group and State Street.

    Joined Equity Trustees: November 2022

  • Adam Engku

    Adam Engku
    Assistant Portfolio Administrator/Dealer

    CertFin (Mort), DipFin (MrtBrokMgt), BCom (Accounting & Finance)

    Adam joined Equity Trustees as a graduate from the University of Western Australia in 2021. He previously gained workplace and industry experience spanning mortgage broking, law, management consulting and the diversified industrialisation space. Adam assists the asset management team’s dealing and is currently completing the CFA Charter.

    Joined Equity Trustees: 2021

Eight Bays Investment Management Team

  • George Clapham

    George Clapham
    Portfolio Manager

    BAgEc; Finsia (Affiliate)

    George has more than 36 years of investment experience including managing long only, long/short equity and global equity portfolios. Before joining EightBays Investment Management, George was Head of Equities and Managing Partner of Arnhem Investment Management, ABN Amro Asset Management. Prior to that, he spent 16 years at Bankers Trust Australia where he was head of Equity Research.

    Joined EightBays Investment Management: September 2019

  • Charles Cropper

    Charles Cropper
    Portfolio Manager

    B.Ec and LL.B

    Charles has previously worked in intellectual property and business development in the medical devices sector, and as a project manager for Japanese multinational Itochu. He has also owned and operated rural interests in Australia for more than 20 years, and managed private and related family investments in Australian and international equities.

    Joined EightBays Investment Management: September 2019

  • Richard Newton

    Richard Newton
    Portfolio Manager

    B.A.; B.Ec

    Richard has more than 34 years of experience in the Australian and international equity markets, having worked in Sydney, Hong Kong, and London throughout his career. Richard was instrumental in founding EightBays Investment Management, before which he was Managing Director at JP Morgan Australia and held several senior roles including Head of Australian and NZ Equity Syndicate during his 17 year tenure.

    Joined EightBays Investment Management: September 2019