Investments Team

Senior Team Members

Daniel Needham - Chief Investment Officer
Bachelor of Commerce (Finance & Economics) CFA Charterholder Daniel manages the Investment team, which is responsible for capital markets, manager research, and portfolio management. He chairs the Ibbotson Investment Committee in Australia, which governs and oversees all investment processes and decisions made by the Investment team, and also sits on the Ibbotson Global Investment Policy Committee. Daniel is also responsible for the performance of the Investment Trusts and all client portfolios. Daniel joined Ibbotson Associates in 2002 and has since held a number of roles including Investment Consultant, Portfolio Manager, and Head of Multi-Strategy. He was appointed General Manager – Investments in January 2008. He worked previously for Zurich Financial Services. Daniel has a Bachelors degree in Commerce (Finance and Economics) from the University of Sydney and is a CFA charterholder.

Daniel Needham - Chief Investment Officer

Bachelor of Commerce (Finance & Economics)
CFA Charterholder

Daniel manages the Investment team, which is responsible for capital markets, manager research, and portfolio management. He chairs the Ibbotson Investment Committee in Australia, which governs and oversees all investment processes and decisions made by the Investment team, and also sits on the Ibbotson Global Investment Policy Committee. Daniel is also responsible for the performance of the Investment Trusts and all client portfolios.

Daniel joined Ibbotson Associates in 2002 and has since held a number of roles including Investment Consultant, Portfolio Manager, and Head of Multi-Strategy. He was appointed General Manager – Investments in January 2008. He worked previously for Zurich Financial Services.

Daniel has a Bachelors degree in Commerce (Finance and Economics) from the University of Sydney and is a CFA charterholder.

Fraser Murray - Head of Equities & Property
Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Graduate Diploma Securities Institute of Australia Fraser joined Ibbotson Associates in 1997 and leads international fund manager research and portfolio management for the multi-manager global equities and listed property portfolios. He also oversees Australian equities research and portfolio management. Before joining Ibbotson, Fraser worked for four years as an investment analyst with Towers Perrin.

Fraser Murray - Head of Equities & Property

Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)
Graduate Diploma Securities Institute of Australia

Fraser joined Ibbotson Associates in 1997 and leads international fund manager research and portfolio management for the multi-manager global equities and listed property portfolios. He also oversees Australian equities research and portfolio management.

Before joining Ibbotson, Fraser worked for four years as an investment analyst with Towers Perrin.

Simon Elimelakh - Head of Investment Strategy
Master of Science (Applied Mathematics) CFA Charterholder Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance & Investment Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia Simon joined Ibbotson Associates in 2008 as Head of Investment Strategy. He has over 18 years' experience in the Australian financial services industry, having worked previously at BT Investment Management (Head of Quantitative Investment Strategies), Rothschild Australia Asset Management (Director, Head of Quantitative Analysis), and (MSCI) BARRA International. Educated in Russia in science and mathematics and later in Australia and the US in Finance, Simon is also responsible for asset allocation.

Simon Elimelakh - Head of Investment Strategy

Master of Science (Applied Mathematics)
CFA Charterholder
Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance & Investment
Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia

Simon joined Ibbotson Associates in 2008 as Head of Investment Strategy. He has over 18 years' experience in the Australian financial services industry, having worked previously at BT Investment Management (Head of Quantitative Investment Strategies), Rothschild Australia Asset Management (Director, Head of Quantitative Analysis), and (MSCI) BARRA International.

Educated in Russia in science and mathematics and later in Australia and the US in Finance, Simon is also responsible for asset allocation.

Michael Coop - Head of Alternatives
Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) Master of Science (Finance) Dip. UK Institute of Investment Management & Research Graduate Diploma Securities Institute of Australia Michael has over 20 years' experience in Australia and the United Kingdom in strategic asset allocation. He joined Ibbotson Associates in 2003 to expand the coverage of alternative investments for advisory and implemented consulting clients. Michael is responsible for setting Ibbotson's alternative investment policy and for managing the firm's range of alternative investment funds. Working with global research partner RogersCasey, he has broadened Ibbotson's range of investment strategies in Australia, which now includes commodities, global inflation-linked bonds, infrastructure, corporate and securitised bonds, global property, and hedge funds including equity long/short, global macro, fixed income, and multi-strategy hedge funds.

Michael Coop - Head of Alternatives

Bachelor of Commerce (Economics)
Master of Science (Finance)
Dip. UK Institute of Investment Management & Research
Graduate Diploma Securities Institute of Australia

Michael has over 20 years' experience in Australia and the United Kingdom in strategic asset allocation. He joined Ibbotson Associates in 2003 to expand the coverage of alternative investments for advisory and implemented consulting clients.

Michael is responsible for setting Ibbotson's alternative investment policy and for managing the firm's range of alternative investment funds. Working with global research partner RogersCasey, he has broadened Ibbotson's range of investment strategies in Australia, which now includes commodities, global inflation-linked bonds, infrastructure, corporate and securitised bonds, global property, and hedge funds including equity long/short, global macro, fixed income, and multi-strategy hedge funds.

Brad Bugg - Head of Fixed Income & Currency
Bachelor of Commerce (Banking and Finance) Graduate Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Markets) Brad joined Ibbotson Associates in October 2009, and is responsible for the performance of fixed income portfolios and trusts. He's also a member of the Investment Committee. Brad has worked in fixed income and credit markets for the last 15 years, in both London and Sydney. Most recently, he was Senior Investment Analyst with Austock Asset Management, and before that he spent over 10 years as sell-side credit analyst with Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and ANZ Investment Bank.

Brad Bugg - Head of Fixed Income & Currency

Bachelor of Commerce (Banking and Finance)
Graduate Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Markets)

Brad joined Ibbotson Associates in October 2009, and is responsible for the performance of fixed income portfolios and trusts. He's also a member of the Investment Committee.

Brad has worked in fixed income and credit markets for the last 15 years, in both London and Sydney. Most recently, he was Senior Investment Analyst with Austock Asset Management, and before that he spent over 10 years as sell-side credit analyst with Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and ANZ Investment Bank.