State Street Global Advisors Appoints Kathleen Gallagher as Head of ETF Model Portfolios

Reporting to Rory Tobin, global co-head of SPDR ETFs and based in London, Gallagher will be responsible for delivering State Street Global Advisors’ institutional multi-asset class investment capabilities to the intermediary market, primarily through managed ETF portfolios.

Prior to joining State Street Global Advisors, Gallagher spent five years consulting at various financial firms with a focus on multi asset class investments including BlackRock/Barclays Global Investors, where she worked for four years, initially as an Asset Allocation Strategist and then as Head of Investment Strategy in the iShares’ solutions team. In both roles she was responsible for the research and development of multi asset solutions including managed ETF portfolios.

“The intermediary advice model is changing around Europe, bringing new challenges to advisors,” said Tobin. “Increased regulation and changing policy on fees mean advisors face tougher conditions in which to build viable businesses. Kathleen’s expertise working with clients to create investment portfolios tailored to their investment profile will allow us to combine the best of SPDR ETFs and SSGA’s institutional asset allocation capability. We are delighted to welcome her to the firm.”

Model portfolios can help those advisors who wish to focus on asset allocation, as well as those looking for a scalable financial advice offering so they can focus on different specialisations, for example estate planning and taxation advice. Equally, outsourcing portfolio construction to a third-party can allow advisors to build a more scalable business which is not dependent on building custom portfolios for every client in their book.

“With a wide array of investment tools available, it can be challenging for advisors to navigate the proliferation of investment products offered,” Gallagher commented. “Model portfolios can help bring investment strategies to life for end investors, allowing them to map their investment strategy to their individual risk appetite, time horizon and return requirements.”