Qualitas Limited has announced two senior appointments with David Porter joining as head of institutional capital and Tom Keenan as head of international wholesale capital.
Mr Porter joins the firm from BlackRock as head of Melbourne, bringing more than 25 years of experience to the role.
According to a statement from Qualitas on Wednesday, he will assist in building new and existing relationships with institutional clients across Australia and globally, with a focus on Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Porter explained that his appointment brings a “unique opportunity” within the real estate space and said he looks forward to working with the firm.
Meanwhile, Mr Keenan joins Qualitas from MLC Asset Management with over two decades of experience in asset management and sales. He will be responsible for capital raising in the offshore private bank and multi-manager channel and will oversee the commercial development of its client base.
“I am pleased to be joining Qualitas at what is an exciting time of growth and opportunity with Australia’s alternative real estate finance market at its burgeoning stage,” Mr Keenan said on his appointment.
Commenting on the team’s expansion, head of capital Dean Winterton added: “Qualitas’ institutional business has gone from strength to strength. The proportion of Qualitas’ total committed FUM, managed on behalf of local and international institutional investors, increased to 76 per cent during 1H23, up from 69 per cent of FUM in 1H22.”
According to Mr Winterton, the proportion of sovereign wealth funds within the Qualitas institutional investor base increased to 62 per cent during 1H23, compared to 43 per cent in 1H22, suggesting confidence in Qualitas’ investment strategies.
“Qualitas welcomes David and Tom to the team; they are highly regarded in the industry and will be vital to our continued growth and development,” he concluded.
The alternative investment manager had approximately $6 billion of committed funds under management as at 31 March 2023.
