Sasfin has announced that Arno Lawrenz will join the Sasfin Asset Managers team as Chief Investment Officer. Backed by a track record within the biggest names in asset management, Lawrenz has been managing fixed income funds since the 90s.
As Head of Fixed Income at Coronation, he launched the Coronation Strategic Income Fund which was the first flexible income fund in South Africa, as well as running fixed income at Old Mutual. Later he founded and built Atlantic Asset management as the Chief Investment Officer, which was ultimately sold to Ashburton where he managed global multi-asset strategies until recently.
“Since the beginning of our talks, I have been most impressed by the authenticity of the team and the client centric approach to investment management at Sasfin. I am delighted to be a part of a team that is so driven by purpose and values which can be seen right from the very top under the leadership of Michael Sassoon. One thing that strikes me is the authenticity of those that I have been speaking to. There's a real unity and can-do attitude," said Lawrenz.
"For many years, Sasfin Asset Managers has been a beacon of success. We have always wanted the time to build this potential out and allow it to spread its wings. We embarked on an exploratory drive to recruit a Chief Investment Officer backed by a proven set of results within the biggest names in asset management whose values align to our own," explained Erol Zeki, CEO at Sasfin Wealth.
Lawrenz joins an established and impressive Institutional team which includes Johan Gouws, Head of Advice, who will be working closely with Arno on implemented solutions and multi-asset strategies. In addition, Errol Shear, with decades of fund management experience across asset classes, Raphi Rootshtain who runs the modelling and quantitative work around multi-strategy portfolios as well as critical research to support the income solutions, and Veenesh Dhayalam, who heads up instrument and manager research. Arno and the team will continue to draw on expertise across the Sasfin Group, including the Fixed Income broking team in Sasfin Securities and the credit capabilities across the Group.
Sasfin has had a dynamic year. Just last month they announced that the Dutch Development Bank FMO provided us with nearly R1bn in funding in a world first to support marginalises SMEs. The Sasfin Wealth team have defied the coronavirus threat and delivered an outstanding year with assets under management and advice up more than 20% over 12 month, now in excess of R50bn, in large part driven by an over 50% increase in Institutional assets under management.
"It makes 2021 as exciting and promising as this explosive year of excellent returns," concluded Zeki.