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La Trobe Financial has announced the appointment of two senior executives to its leadership team, as the company continues to grow and diversify its investment platform.
David Tagg has been appointed head of investments. He brings over 30 years of experience in funds management, wealth management, and investment banking.
Prior to joining La Trobe Financial, Tagg held senior leadership roles at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), including head of wholesale investments and chief investment officer of Commonwealth Private Bank.
Catherine Donatiello has been appointed head of product support. Donatiello has a background in financial services and client experience and her appointment is intended to strengthen the firm’s strategic capability.
These appointments are part of a broader initiative aimed at deepening the company’s executive capability. La Trobe Financial has said that further senior hires will be announced in the coming weeks.
Chris Paton, chief investment officer of La Trobe Financial, said: “We are delighted to have David and Catherine join our team.
“They add to the scale and experience of our already highly respected executive group and position us strongly for the next phase of our growth.”
Currently, La Trobe manages over $20 billion in assets under management (AUM) on behalf of a client base comprised of major institutions, domestic and international banks, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and retail investors.
The La Trobe Australian Credit Fund sits at almost $13 billion AUM, reportedly making it the largest retail credit fund in Australia.
La Trobe praised by brokers at recent roundtable
Held earlier this year, the Broker Daily Commercial and Asset Roundtable heard consistent praise from brokers for its efficient processes.
Isabella Constantinou said her company, Simplicity Loans and Advisory, writes a “significant volume” through La Trobe.
“This week for example, I had a client applying SMSF, everyone else couldn’t do it, but La Trobe was on the money, they wanted to do it straight away. So, they’re good for that,” said Effie Nicol from Yellow Brick Road.
“They’ll just do things that others won’t,” said Shore Financial CEO Theo Chambers.
Things like large, low-doc commercial loans can be handled by La Trobe, whereas other lenders may not touch them, said the brokers. Chambers said the maximum low-doc commercial loan is around $25 million, which he described as “crazy”.
[RELATED: La Trobe is getting commercial lending right]
