Devon loses head of retail

In this newly created position, Smith will act as the bridge between Generate's investment team and external audiences, ensuring the smooth communication of investment strategies to advisers, media, clients, and the broader public. His focus will be on simplifying what can be hard-to-understand investment concepts and elevating Generate’s market profile through accessible educational content. 

Smith brings significant experience from his previous role as Head of Retail at Devon Funds Management, where he engaged with financial advisers and retail clients to expand the company’s reach across various platforms. 

His move comes after Australian firm Shaw and Partners took a majority stake in Devon's parent company, Investment Services Group.

He has been prominent in the business media for the past 20 years. He is a well-recognised market commentator, regularly appearing as a speaker on Newstalk ZB, the NBR, TVNZ, and contributing to market-related content across The New Zealand Herald, Stuff,
and other media platforms. 

Prior to Devon, he was the head of research at the Australian-based funds management and market research business Fat Prophets. Smith  also was a global investments operations manager at Mellon Global Investments in London.

"At Generate, we are committed to making our investment expertise more accessible to all," said Sam Goldwater, Generate Chief Investment Officer. "This role ensures that our investment team’s insights are effectively communicated to our clients and the broader market."