Dear all,
To say I’m disappointed to be writing this note while in another lockdown would be an understatement. I know the situation will be impacting every Victorian in some way and my heart certainly goes out to those in the retail and hospitality sector in particular, so I’m hopeful we can return to a sense of normality very soon. To those of you living outside of Victoria, enjoy the freedom to move about your state!
New Zenith brand
You may have noticed that our branding looks different today, and we’re so pleased to launch Zenith’s new brand and visual identity to the market. In particular, it’s been a great opportunity to refresh our logo and ‘look and feel’ to be more reflective of our new mission, values and the business we’re building, while being respectful of its history.
If you have instances of the Zenith logo in your collateral, our Marketing team will be in touch with you during June to discuss the process of updating the logo. If you have any immediate requirements to use the Zenith logo, please get in touch with our Marketing team.
Chant West Super Fund Awards
We were fortunate to be able to present the Chant West Super Fund of the Year Awards last week in Sydney at an in-person event, and it was an honour to be involved for the first time as Group CEO. The event was a fitting celebration of everything that the sector does to deliver strong outcomes to super fund members, particularly after such a difficult year.
The event reinforced the value in and importance of quality fund research for the advice sector. We’re acutely aware of the need for quality investment research, ratings and comparison tools for advisers who have clients ‘walk through the door’ every day with an investment in industry super funds. Chant West has been working across the super industry, researching, assessing and consulting to funds for more than 20 years. Through their experience, networks and the quality of the team, data and insights, they’re in the privileged position to have a broad industry oversight and understanding, and truly assess the ‘best of the best’.
Congratulations to all the finalists and winners but in particular, our warm wishes to those funds winning the major awards: Australian Super for Super Fund of the Year, and UniSuper for Pension Fund of the Year.
Company news
In managed accounts news, the Zenith Essentials portfolios have recently been added to BT Panorama and Netwealth. The Essentials portfolios are designed to provide exposure to a diversified range of quality active fund managers, whilst lowering the overall portfolio cost through the inclusion of some lower cost strategies where appropriate. Zenith’s Elite Blends, our premium managed portfolio suite, will also be available on AMP North at the end of June.
Next week, our first index fund ratings will be visible to advisers, commencing with the Australian fixed interest, Australian equities and property sectors. As mentioned previously, this new framework reflects a methodology and approach tailored specifically for index funds. If you’d like more information on the ratings scale and process, further detail is available on our website or please contact our Sales team.
And lastly, in team news, we welcomed James Curnow, Business Development Manager for NSW/ACT to our business in May, reflecting the growing demand for managed accounts and research services in the state and our continuing commitment to offer quality support and service to our clients. We also officially welcomed the Galaxy team on-board, with the acquisition of Galaxy’s insurance comparison tools from Rice Warner now complete. It’s certainly been an exciting few months for the business and these additions reflect our expanding service offering and continuing commitment to meet the growing and diverse needs of financial advisers across the country.
Stay well and take care.
David Wright
Chief Executive Officer
