ETF veteran Deborah Fuhr has launched an independent research and consultancy firm, ETF Global Insight, which will officially open for business on Monday.
The new company will publish both independent and commissioned research and provide investors with assistance on product comparison and asset allocation implementation.
Fuhr has been working in the ETF industry since 1997 and was most recently global head of ETF research and implementation strategy and a managing director at BlackRock. She said the rapid growth of the ETF industry over the last 25 years had led to a growing demand for information about the products among a wide range of market participants.
“While asset growth in the ETF industry has been tremendous, regulators, investors, ETF managers, brokers, index providers and all of the members of the ETF eco-system have been citing the need for more and better independent education, research and customised assistance to investors seeking to navigate the vast array,” said Fuhr.
Fuhr added: “The need for independent research and assistance in navigating the ETF landscape is even greater today than at any time in the past 10 years. Across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, there are exciting opportunities to bring ETFs to more investors in more countries with quality tools and research that serve their requirements. We believe the industry will see significant change as investors and regulators demand greater transparency, clarity and information which will benefit investors globally.”
Fuhr left the iShares parent company in October last year and had been due to take up the post of head of global delta one strategy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. However, the bank announced in January that it would not be going ahead with the hiring.
Shane Kelly and Matthew Murray, former BlackRock colleagues of Fuhr’s, have joined her in the new venture. The trio were instrumental in developing the first ETF global industry research reports and worldwide handbooks and have won a number of awards for their research.
