Instreet to “marry” institutional products and retail investors

The new Sydney boutique asset manager, Instreet, will stamp its mark on a crowded marketplace by offering products that they expect will better achieve advisers’ and clients’ goals.

 

Managing director George Lucas says: “Instreet believes retail investors are ready to handle products that are structured intelligently, innovative, competitive, and reflect a keen insight into the state of the markets.

 

“To achieve this result we will work closely with the financial advisory community and institutions to design products that will strike a chord with the retail investor, effectively providing investment products that will capture the imagination of advisers and be relevant to their clients.”

 

Instreet was set up in January this year, after Lucas and his team left Mariner Financial Limited. The venture has the backing of the dealer group, Premium Wealth Management, and its members, which has funds under advisement of $2.5 billion, and a group of financial advisers.

 

Lucas was a director of the responsible entities at Mariner and was responsible for structuring and product development. He has more than 24 years of experience in the investment banking and fund management industry.

 

He says: “We believe the current market environment provides a unique opportunity for a new breed of asset manager who works closely with financial advisers to assess market demand, and, at the same time, having the investment background to have access to quality wholesale providers.

 

“We have and will take the time to sit down and talk with financial advisers to discover what are the investment needs of their client base. At the same time Instreet will be liaising with the institutions to ensure we are across the latest trends in product development and structuring, as well as what’s happening in a macro sense across all markets.

 

“On the administration front, our products will be managed by leading institutions and investment banks and in the research front will be independently rated by leading research houses.”

 

Instreet has three products currently in various phases of development. The first, a closed-end, end of financial year product, is expected in early May, and has been designed after consultation with some major adviser groups. Two open-end, platform friendly, products giving advisers access to various alternative asset classes and strategies are to be in use in the second half of the year.

 

Instreet will generate its revenue from a fee on funds under management business model. Instreet Investment is an Authorised Representative of AFSL 246801

 

Lucas has extensive experience developing, managing, marketing and structuring financial products at First Chicago, Citibank and Mariner Financial, and will be responsible at Instreet for devising the strategy in partnership with the board, as well as investment product development.

 

Sales and Business Development Principal Justin Byrne will manage Instreet’s sales and marketing strategy, bringing to the task a 10-year history in selling structured products, property and infrastructure managed investment schemes and other financial products at Zurich, Westpac and Mariner Financial.

 

The Instreet board boasts a wide range of experience in the industry. Chairman David Gordon, who has been a partner in GHR Accounting Group since 1985, has worked in the advisory industry for more than 25 years, specialising in finance, tax and business.

 

Director Ian Rae, who has also been a partner at the GHR Accounting Group since 1993, has focused on portfolio construction and in ensuring that managed investment schemes and structured and other financial products are relevant for individual investment portfolios.

 

Craig Northey is head of sales and investor relationships at Aegis where he is responsible for managing and promoting both the institutional and retail business of the group. He also provides advice on unlisted property trusts, structured products, managed investments schemes, rights issues and IPOs.