Fund watch
Meet George Crosby – ANZ Investments’ Chief Investment Officer
We’re delighted to have recently welcomed George Crosby as our new Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for ANZ Investments. We thought you may be interested to learn a bit more about him, his experience in the industry and what makes him tick. George sat down with us to answer a few questions.
Tell us about your background
I was born and raised in Blenheim, Marlborough, which was an amazing place to grow up. I studied at the University of Canterbury and attained a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce. During this period competitive squash was also a big focus.
My career started in the investment industry in Wellington over 20 years ago, then I moved to London, working for BNP Paribas and Toronto Dominion Bank. My wife and I moved back to New Zealand 15 years ago to start our family. At that time, I joined the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Fund where I had a number of roles that included managing portfolios, balance sheets and liquidity. I joined ANZ Investments as CIO in March this year.
What are you looking forward to most working for ANZ Investments?
Working with incredibly passionate people that are deeply focussed on delivering for our customers.
It’s a privilege to be looking after the investments of so many Kiwi investors. I’m excited about the opportunity to further enhance the investment approach, while maintaining our long-term focus. The scale of ANZ Investments gives us opportunities to explore interesting investment opportunities for our customers.
How does the New Zealand investment industry compare to your experience working abroad?
In the New Zealand investments industry there are more people that are generalists that work across a wide range of asset classes. Whereas in overseas markets roles are very specialised, due to their scale. There are of course pros and cons of both.
What does your CIO role involve?
The CIO role has overall investment responsibility for ANZ Investments across all asset classes. There are lots of different aspects to the role including investment management, risk management, strategy development, and implementation, responsible investment and of course managing our extremely talented investment management team.
What do you think makes ANZ Investments different from other fund managers?
ANZ Investments is the biggest KiwiSaver provider and manages over $30bn for more than 650,000 customers throughout New Zealand. This provides us with the opportunity to leverage our scale, which customers benefit from. An example of this is having access to investment options that might not be available to other investment managers due to our size.
How have you seen the industry change over the years?
Technology advancements have had a major impact on how investment management teams access different markets and execute their investment strategies. The speed of change and disruption has only increased. Particularly in the gathering and use of data to inform investment decision making.
The other major change is the industry’s awareness and consideration of non-financial measures when considering different investment opportunities. I’m proud to have joined an organisation that is considered a Responsible Investment Leader by RIAA.
What’s your own attitude to investing?
Similar to ANZ Investments’, my investment focus is very much around long term value, rather than following the latest fad or trend.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
I constantly try and challenge myself, whether it’s in my home, sporting or work life. For example, our family are currently attempting to complete all the DoC great walks.
What do you like to do outside of work?
My three daughters aged, 12, 13 and 15 certainly keep me on my toes. Our weeknights and weekends are filled with lots of activities. I enjoy sporting pursuits, though I’m not so competitive these days. I enjoy cycling, tennis and tramping.
This article has been prepared by ANZ New Zealand Investments Limited (‘ANZ Investments’) for information purposes only and it should not be treated as financial advice.
MFL Mutual Fund Limited is the issuer and manager of the MFL Mutual Fund. ANZ Investments is the investment and administration manager. ANZ Investments is not an authorised deposit taking institution (ADI) under Australian law and investments in the scheme aren’t deposits in or liabilities of ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, or their subsidiaries (together ‘ANZ Group’). ANZ Group doesn’t stand behind or guarantee ANZ Investments. Investments in the scheme are subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment, and loss of income and principal invested. ANZ Group won’t be liable to you for the capital value or performance of your investment.
Past performance does not indicate future performance, and performance can be negative as well as positive. This material is for information purposes only. We recommend seeking financial advice about your situation and goals before getting a financial product.
Investment and administration manager: ANZ New Zealand Investments Limited.