Sodor Capital plots New Zealand expansion with new hire

Australian fund distributor Sodor Capital has appointed an executive to lead its New Zealand expansion, while opening a new office in Singapore.

The expansion across the Asia Pacific region follows a distribution mandate awarded to the firm from a European asset manager in March.

Sam Dixon has joined Sodor Capital as head of New Zealand, joining from Murray & Co where he was the head of fund distribution for close to three years.

He brings 25 years' experience in investment banking and fund management with J.P. Morgan and HSBC across London, Hong Kong, and Sydney.

He is also a member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand and chairs the New Zealand Shareholders Association.

Dixon's appointment extends Sodor Capital's distribution reach to connect New Zealand's wholesale and institutional investors with Sodor Capital's distributed funds, simultaneously providing Kiwi fund managers a route to expand their network.

Meanwhile, the company has announced the incorporation of Sodor Capital Pte. Ltd in Singapore, establishing a registered presence in the country in building out the firm's longer-term plans in the Southeast Asia.

The firm is currently undergoing an extensive recruitment process to support the initiative, it said.

Sodor Capital chief executive Martin Smith described both locations are "natural extensions" of the business built in Australia.

"This move is about providing our clients with broader regional coverage across Asia Pacific," Smith said.

"Many of the global fund managers we're speaking to are seeking packaged Asia Pacific distribution solutions. We also want to assist Australian and Kiwi managers expand into Asia.

"With those goals in mind, Sam brings deep investor relationships and a strong reputation in the New Zealand market, and our Singapore presence lays the foundation for our ambitions across the region, ahead of further expansion into Hong Kong and Japan."

Smith also co-founded fund administrator Mainstream Group (ASX: MAI) in 2006 and has personally established its Singapore operations between 2012-2016 to ultimately grow its funds under administration to $295 billion before its sale to Apex Group in 2021.