Stanlib Strengthens Its Team of Investment Executives

Johannesburg, Feb 04, 2010 (Business Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- STANLIB, the asset management firm that delivered a below-par investment performance last year, has beefed up its management.

Yesterday it announced that Stewart Rider had been made chief investment officer, which follows hard on the heels of the appointment of CEO Thabo Dloti to the Liberty Holdings-owned asset management firm. Dloti was formerly the CEO of Old Mutual Investment Group SA.

Stanlib also appointed Patrick Mamathuba as its new chief investment officer of alternative investments, which was a new growth area for asset management, said Liberty CEO Bruce Hemphill.

Liberty is Stanlib's parent company.

Rider had already strengthened Stanlib's investment team with some senior portfolio management appointments, said Hemphill.

Andrew Vintcent, Kate Rushton and Shawn Stockigt were appointed as head of research; head of credit research: fixed income; and small- and mid- capitalisation fund manager, respectively. This followed the appointment of Herman van Velze as a balanced-fund manager late last year.

Hemphill said Stewart had served in key senior executive roles since joining the group five years ago. Before joining Liberty, Stewart was a top-rated insurance analyst at Merrill Lynch.

Vintcent joins Stanlib from RMB Asset Management, where he was a portfolio manager and headed the financial team. Apart from being head of research, Vintcent would also manage Stanlib's Prosperity unit trust fund.

He replaces Nigel Mackenzie, who leaves Stanlib at the end of next month to pursue alternative career opportunities.

Rushton was previously the principal corporate and credit analyst at Absa Capital.

She will head the credit process at Stanlib, with credit having become a key component of most fixed-interest portfolios.

Stockigt had more than 14 years' experience in the asset management industry, having held positions as portfolio manager with Sanlam , Gryphon Asset Management, Abvest Asset Management and Achelon Capital, with particular focus on the small and mid-capitalisation stocks.

"Investment experience and depth are the two cornerstones of any successful third-party fund management business," Rider said.