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Announcement posted by La Trobe Financial 09 Apr 2019

La Trobe Financial recognised with two Asia Pacific finance industry awards in Hong Kong

Australia’s $7.4 billion AUM premium non-bank, and Blackstone Portfolio Company, La Trobe Financial, has been recognised internationally for excellence in managing growth, and for the operations and returns to investors in its retail Credit Fund.

2019 Wealth Management Company of the Year – Asia Pacific

2019 Credit Specialist of the Year – Asia Pacific


Friday, 29 March 2019 – The International Alternative Investment Review (IAIR) Awards were held in Hong Kong on Friday the 29th of March, with a Gala Dinner recognising excellence and world best practices in funds management and banking. The dinner was attended by over 1,500 people covering fund managers, international banks, law firms, family offices and global institutional investors.

During proceedings Australia’s La Trobe Financial a $7.4 billion AUM non-bank, was recognised with two Asia-Pacific Awards for excellence in funds management and credit lending. This marks the seventh consecutive year of accolades for La Trobe Financial internationally and reflects its growing presence in the Asia Pacific, with offices now in Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Shanghai, deploying 350 staff across the region.

The world’s largest Alternative Asset Manager Blackstone acquired an 80% interest in La Trobe Financial on the 22nd of December 2017 to partner with longstanding sole shareholder and CEO Greg O’Neill.

In awarding the Wealth Management Company of the Year – Asia Pacific category, judges identified that the La Trobe Australian Credit Fund ("Credit Fund") achieved strong positive returns and exceptional growth over the last twelve months in the managed funds sector for both institutional and retail investors, showing a 50.3% growth rate year on year. The Credit Fund also delivered strong relative performance in times of low interest rates, and keeps attracting attention across the Australian and Asian markets, said people familiar with its operations.

Chief Investment Officer, Chris Andrews, on being informed of the award whilst in the region on an Asian Deal Roadshow for La Trobe’s next A$750m of Residential Mortgage Backed Securities (RMBS) stated, "on behalf of all of our 350 staff in Asia Pacific, we are delighted to again have been nominated and rated best in class by the IAIR international judging panel for the 7th year in a row. La Trobe Financial has been managing other people’s money for almost seven decades. We have built a disciplined investment strategy targeting capital stability and consistent monthly income across every economic cycle. Investors are increasingly frustrated with the ongoing market and geopolitical volatility and low yields elsewhere, so above all else these awards are a confirmation of our track record delivering differentiated real value for retail and global institutional investors through a transparent and time-tested approach."

The Credit Fund, established in July 1999, had the aim to protect investors’ capital, and to produce regular, consistent income. The Credit Fund now has over $3.2 billion in AUM and 35,000 member investors. This performance record in the current low-yield environment continues to attract attention widely across the market. The flagship 12 month investment term account outperforms all peers, with no losses to investors, and earlier this year independent finance journal Money Magazine judged it the ‘Best of the Best’ in Australia for the tenth consecutive year.

La Trobe Financial’s peer-to-peer lending and investment option within the Credit Fund has quietly become Australia’s largest (c.$500m and 662 loans as at 31 March 2019) peer-to-peer loan portfolio and possibly the most robust secured peer-to-peer operation in the country. This has been recognised by one of Australia’s reputable independent rating houses, SQM Research, with a 4 star rating.

Consequently, La Trobe Financial was awarded 2019 Credit Specialist of the Year – Asia Pacific for its efficient operations and prudent utilisation of both conventional lending channels and bespoke peer-to-peer (P2P) sources of lending and funding structures. According to the judging panel, La Trobe Financial was an early adopter of this innovative solution to lending almost 30 years ago in 1990. This innovative and scalable funding structure has the ability to provide product and pricing flexibility on a loan by loan and investor by investor matched basis to assist clients achieve their financial objectives.

Chief Lending Officer, Cory Banister, when asked about being awarded 2019 Credit Specialist of the Year - Asia Pacific, commented, "…as the oldest operating non-bank in Australia we have over 66 years of unequalled performance providing finance solutions to over 140,000 clients covering some $16 billion of invested capital. With $7.4 billion of AUM we have realised over that time that in order to build ongoing and lasting relationships with clients, you need to provide flexible tech-driven solutions when they need it. This is why we maintain one of the broadest non-bank product suites in the Australian market, delivering flexibility and access to products that the major banks generally cannot provide. We remain good stewards of other people’s capital and this enables us to obtain and maintain the trust of our clients – this is the real asset of the firm."

La Trobe Financial will be making further announcements shortly.


About the IAIR Awards

The International Alternative Investment Review Awards recognise the world’s best global finance, wealth management, brokerage, and asset management providers in the world. Following the criteria, each award recognises managers which display the highest standards in innovation, performance and social responsibility. Award winners are chosen from a short list of nominees selected by over 50,000 investors globally from over 120 countries following a review by an independent and objective judging panel.


About La Trobe Financial

With A$7.4 billion of Assets Under Management (AUM), La Trobe Financial is Australia’s premium non-bank specialising in credit and wealth management. La Trobe Financial provides funding and investment solutions to a diverse range of 140,000 customers and have done so since 1952. 80% owned by Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, with over US$472 billion of AUM worldwide, we are a proven and trusted investment partner for institutional and retail investors alike, operating Australia’s largest retail Credit Fund ($3.2bn AUM and 35,000 retail investors). We have over 66 years’ experience, managing investment mandates in excess of $16 billion since commencement.

La Trobe Financial has been a leading innovator in the non-bank sector for many years including, pioneering "Lite Doc®" lending in Australia in 1990, creating the first private Reverse Mortgage (Seniors LoanTM) in 2003, launching the first hybrid wealth management-loan product P2C® (Parent-to-Child) to assist first home buyers in 2013, introducing a unique to market Aged Care finance solution in 2015, and being one of the first lenders to introduce a fully digital KYC and AML checking of borrower applicants for brokers in 2017.

La Trobe Financial is regulated by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) and holds the requisite regulatory AFSL and ACL licences to operate.

For further details please visit our website www.latrobefinancial.com.