AMP Capital builds Credit Research team in Chicago

AMP Capital has appointed two senior investment professionals to its Credit Research team in Chicago.

Alexander Shire, who has 15 years of research expertise, will join the team on 20 July 2015 as Senior Portfolio Manager. He was most recently Principal/Senior Analyst at Atika Capital Management and has also worked as a Senior Credit Analyst for JHL Capital Group and Portfolio Manager for the Royal Bank of Canada.

Judi Rossetti will start with AMP Capital on 3 August 2015 as Portfolio Manager, bringing to the team more than a decade of experience covering consumer sectors. Ms Rossetti joins the company from Fitch Ratings where she was a Senior Director, Corporate Finance. Prior to that, Ms Rossetti held roles at Bain Capital Partners as Finance Manager and Brinson Partners as Director, Equity Research.

Both Mr Shire and Ms Rossetti will report to AMP Capital Head of Credit Research Sonia Baillie.

AMP Capital Head of Global Fixed Income Simon Warner said: “These appointments are in line with our plan to build a comprehensive high yield fixed income capability in the US and to further boost AMP Capital’s investment capability outside of Australia. The need for credit insights from the US is increasing as we build our global client base and expand our extended alpha and income propositions and I am delighted to welcome Alexander and Judi to the team.”

Ms Baillie added: “The addition of Alexander and Judi to the Chicago-based Credit Research team is an essential part of our strategic initiative to build out our global credit research capability. Both Alexander and Judi will be primarily focused on US high yield markets with responsibility for undertaking industry and company-specific research and ultimately for security selection within their respective sectors. Alexander will focus on basic materials, healthcare and gaming while Judi will focus on the consumer-related sectors.”

In addition, AMP Capital Credit Analyst Joyce Yu will relocate from AMP Capital’s Sydney office to Chicago in September while Patrick Wang has been promoted from Portfolio Manager, Credit Markets, to Senior Portfolio Manager in recognition of his significant contribution to the team. Mr Wang’s focus will broaden to include the technology, media and telecommunications sectors across investment grade and high yield markets.

AMP Capital has had a presence in Chicago since 2012. AMP Capital’s Global Fixed Income team now has six investment professionals located in Chicago working alongside staff from AMP Capital’s Dealing, Corporate, Global Listed Real Estate and Global Listed Infrastructure teams.