Maple-Brown Abbott has announced the appointment of Phillip Hudak and Matt Griffin as co-portfolio managers, Australian small companies.
Mr Hudak and Mr Griffin both previously served as co-portfolio managers of the AMP Capital Australian Emerging Companies Fund, which is now being managed by Macquarie following the sale of AMP’s global equities and fixed income (GEFI) business.
The AMP Australian small caps strategy was managed by Mr Hudak since it launched in 2013 before being co-managed by Mr Hudak and Mr Griffin between 2018 and 2022.
Maple-Brown Abbott CEO Sophia Rahmani said the appointments were a key development in the firm’s long-term growth strategy, with plans in place to launch an Australian small companies fund soon after Mr Hudak and Mr Griffin commence their roles at the end of April.
“The opportunity to add this sought-after capability through the appointment of two highly experienced investment professionals is ideal for us,” she said.
“Being a privately owned boutique investment manager with a long history of strong client alignment and quality investment capabilities means that when we identify solutions that align with our strategy and our clients’ interests, we can add them relatively quickly and efficiently.”
The new Australian small companies fund will bring the total number of investment strategies offered by the firm to five, including broad-cap Australian equities, Asia-Pacific equities and global listed infrastructure and global emerging markets.
Prior to AMP Capital, Mr Hudak worked as a small caps analyst at ING Investment Management, as an analyst at MIR Investment Management and as an investment consultant with Russell Investment Group.
Meanwhile, Mr Griffin formerly served as investment director at IFM Investors and as a small caps analyst at Macquarie Asset Management.
“Phillip and Matt have a proven investment process with an earnings focus and market-leading sustainability framework, which they will continue at Maple-Brown Abbott,” said Maple-Brown Abbott CIO Garth Rossler.
“We look forward to engaging with the market with this quality offering.”
