“ARCA SGR Spa and Tacoma-based Frank Russell Company have signed a strategic alliance to develop a world-class investment program for Italian investors, utilizing Russell’s trademark multi-manager investment concept.The alliance marks the introduction of Russell’s multi-manager approach in Italy. The products which have been established in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France, Australia and South Africa, will enable Italian investors to access a combination of managers throughout the world, many previously only available to the largest institutional investors. The Russell multi-manager approach is designed to deliver more consistent performance while providing controlled levels of risk.As part of a complete investment program, ARCA will assist clients with asset allocations and provide multi-managers portfolios based on the individual investors’ objectives and risk tolerance. The program is slated to launch after regulatory approval is granted.Russell is an international leader in the manager-of-managers investment business, with $60 billion in assets under management.This agreement demonstrates our capacity to innovate in the Italian investment fund market by offering new and premium products, said Attilio Piero Ferrari, the managing director of ARCA SGR Spa. Our clients will have access to a unique and specialized range of service, enabling them to gain asset allocation services and multiple-manager strategies in each asset class through the combined expertise of ARCA and Russell.Frederic Jolly, Russell’s managing director for continental Europe said the agreement with ARCA enables Italian investors to utilize Russell’s investment concept already established in Europe, Asia and North America.ARCA SGR Spa manages assets of more than 37 billion Euros. ARCA products are distributed in Italy by a national network of more than 90 banks representing 4,500 bank branches and 5 million clients.Frank Russell Company currently provides multiple-manager investment programs through existing alliances with many of the world’s leading banks, including Societe Generale in France, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi in Japan, Royal Bank of Canada, Development Bank of Singapore, and ANZ Bank in Australia. Russell’s programs are offered in the U.S. by Northwestern Mutual, A.G. Edwards, and a network of independent investment advisors.AustraliaIn other international news, Russell has been awarded a global equity mandate for $22 million of assets from WorkCover Corporation of South Australia. The assets have been invested in a range of Russell’s multi-manager funds.WorkCover Corporation began its association with Russell in 1987 when the firm became one of the first clients for consulting services provided by Russell’s Sydney office.Our funds are the embodiment of our global manager research effort and our multi-style, multi-manager investment philosophy, said Jon Bailie, assistant director of Russell’s London-based funds business.WorkCover Corporation manages workplace health, safety, rehabilitation and compensation systems for 65,000 South Australian employers and their employees. The company manages investment assets of around $700 million in Australian dollars, and has according to Russell, has achieved consistent, strong risk-adjusted investment performance since being formed in 1987.SingaporeDBS Bank has launched a program named eight that it touted as being able to help most Singaporeans achieve financial well-being at different life stages.The eight program allows customers of the bank to choose from among five professionally managed portfolios that cater to their individual circumstances and preferences. The portfolios cover different combinations of global equities and bonds, starting from 20 percent equity and 80 percent bonds to a portfolio comprising 100 percent equity.The new program features a personal financial profiling process that helps to identify an individual’s circumstances and long-term personal and family objectives then matches them to one of five blended portfolios.The bank said the new program is an alternative to traditional savings, filling the gap between those products and speculative investments.Importantly, eight gives everyone access to the same level of investment and funds management expertise that until now has been available only to the large, professional investors, said Elsie Foh, managing director and head of individual banking at DBS. With as little as $5,000 (Singapore dollars), more Singaporeans now can have tap into global diversification and seek the world’s best fund management advice. In fact, customers can start with just $2,000, with subsequent monthly savings of as little as $200, just like POSBank’s ‘Save As You Earn.’If designing a product in direct response to what the customers say they want and need is the key to success, we expect eight will be very successful, Foh said.Eight is the second investment program DBS and Russell have introduced in the Singapore market. The Horizon Investment Programme, launched in July of 1999, has attracted over $300 million in funds within six months of its launch.The Russell program is designed to benefit people with little knowledge of global financial markets and products.”