About

Solaris is a fundamental, style-agnostic, active Australian equities fund manager. Our investment approach is to utilise fundamental research to exploit inefficiencies in company earnings or valuations. Solaris employs a multi-portfolio manager approach whereby analysts are empowered to be portfolio managers for their industry sectors, to optimise conversion of fundamental research into positions in the portfolio.

The Solaris investment process, grounded in the empowered analyst model, underpins all strategies including Core, Long-Short, Income, and tailored mandates. Solaris is recognised for its disciplined and repeatable approach, delivering a consistent performance track record across both institutional and retail clients.

Solaris is proudly majority owned by employees.

Why Solaris

25+ years

investing in Australian equities

Employee-Owned

majority owned by staff

Style-Agnostic

agnostic to growth and value factors

Long-Term Outperformance


18 of 25 years of outperformance

Our People

Chief Investment Officer/Analyst

Michael Bell

Commenced in Industry – 1995 Joined the team – 1997

Michael was appointed as Chief Investment Officer in May 2018, while maintaining his position as Analyst and Portfolio Manager for various portfolios. Previously he was the Head of Dealing. Prior to Solaris, Michael was a member of the Suncorp Equities Investment Team as Head of Dealing and Portfolio Analyst where he was responsible for quantitative analysis and acted as product specialist for the High Alpha and After Tax portfolios. Michael has a Bachelor of Business – Accountancy from the Queensland University of Technology and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance through the Securities Institute of Australia.

Analyst/Portfolio Manager

Charles Casey

Commenced in the Industry – 2007 Joined the team – 2018

Charles has full portfolio responsibilities as an Analyst and is also co-Portfolio Manager for the Solaris Australian Equity Income Fund. Before joining Solaris Charles worked for QIC as a Portfolio Manager in the Global-Multi Asset Team and previously a Research Analyst for the same team. After graduating from the University of Queensland with dual Bachelor Degrees in Commerce and Economics, Charles worked for Macquarie in a range of roles, most recently as a Senior Manager in Product Management based in Sydney. Charles is a CFA Charterholder and has completed a Diploma of Financial Planning (RG 146 Compliance) through Kaplan Professional.

ESG Analyst/Portfolio Manager

Lisa Domagala

Commenced in Industry – 1987 Joined the team – 1993

Lisa provides supplemental advice and direction on a range of ESG issues to the Solaris analysts. She is the Portfolio Manager for several ESG themed portfolios and has extensive experience in the Australian equity market, both as an analyst and on the dealing side, for both buy-side and sell-side firms. Prior to Solaris, Lisa served as the Head of Dealing at Suncorp. She was also portfolio specialist for the Suncorp Ethical Balanced Trust and other dedicated ESG portfolios. Her role included acting as the Ethical Committee chairperson and compiling specific ESG research and maintaining databases for analyst use. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance & Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia.

Managing Director/Analyst

Will Earnshaw

Commenced in Industry – 1996 Joined the team – 2000

Will is Managing Director of Solaris as well as retaining full portfolio responsibility as an Analyst. Prior to Solaris, Will was a member of the Suncorp Equities Investment Team as an Analyst. Will spent the first 5 years of his career working in the Chartered Accounting profession, before gaining international financial markets experience as a risk analyst with Robert Fleming & Co and NatWest Equities in their OTC equity derivatives businesses. Will holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland, and is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. He holds a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment from FINSIA and is a CFA charter holder.

Client Director

Gillian Gibbs

Commenced in Industry – 2005 Joined the team – 2022

Gillian joined the Solaris team as Client Director in 2022. Gillian focusses on Solaris’ client and investor relations. Sitting with the investment team, Gillian is able to provide insight in to Solaris fund performance, positioning and is well versed in all aspects of Solaris’ approach to investing. Previously, Gillian was at QIC where she held a number of roles most recently as Client Relationship Director, and earlier worked closely with the investment teams as Director, Investment Specialist. Prior to joining QIC, Gillian was Associate Director at Wellington Management (London) and earlier at MSCI Barra (London). Gillian is a CFA Charterholder, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Banking & Finance) and a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Sciences) from the University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Analyst/Portfolio Manager

Damien Keune

Commenced in Industry – 2002 Joined the team – 2006

Damien has full portfolio responsibilities as an Analyst and is also co-Portfolio Manager for the Solaris Long Short Fund. Prior to becoming an analyst at Solaris, Damien was Head of Dealing where he was responsible for the day-to-day management of the dealing desk, dealing operations, identifying profitable trading opportunities, and communicating relevant market information to the investment team. He was also responsible for producing and analysing the team’s quantitative and risk analysis reports. Prior to Solaris, Damien was a dealer with the Suncorp Australian equities investment team. Damien holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment through FINSIA.

Analyst/Portfolio Manager

Bernard Machen

Commenced in Industry – 1994 Joined the team – 2000

Bernard has full portfolio responsibility as an Analyst and is also co-Portfolio Manager for the Solaris Australian Equity Income Fund. Prior to Solaris, Bernard was solely responsible at Suncorp for a $550m low tracking error Listed Property Fund. Before joining the Suncorp Equities team, Bernard spent 10 years in the Information Technology arena, with 6 of those working directly for the Suncorp Equities team designing Portfolio Management and Performance systems, and later managing the Investments Systems team. Bernard holds a Bachelor of Business (Computing) from the Queensland University of Technology and Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from Kaplan Professional.

Analyst/Portfolio Manager

Andrew McLennan

Commenced in Industry – 2002 Joined the team – 2022

Andrew has full portfolio responsibilities as an Analyst. He commenced his career at JP Morgan as an emerging companies analyst, before becoming a consumer sector analyst at firms including Commonwealth Bank and Goldman Sachs. He has had previous experience on the buy-side with MIR Investment Management. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Economics (1st Class Honours) from the University of Queensland and received the University Medal in 2001.

Operations Manager

Terry Meagher

Commenced in Industry – 1991 Joined the team – 2018

Terry is Solaris’ Operations Manager overseeing all operational aspects of the firm. Prior to joining Solaris Terry was a senior advisor at the Queensland Treasury Corporation for seven years involved in projects and systems in the market data, finance, document management and human resources areas of the firm. Terry has over 30 years experience working in various roles in the investments and treasury industries in Brisbane and London including companies such as Suncorp, QIC and AMP. Terry is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and holds a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) from the Queensland University of Technology.

Dealer

Ryan Porter

Commenced in Industry – 2021 Joined the team – 2021

Ryan is responsible for all dealing operations, identifying profitable trading opportunities and communicating relevant market information to the investment team. Ryan is responsible for producing and analysing the team’s quantitative and risk analysis reports as well as supporting IT systems and development within Solaris. Prior to Solaris, Ryan worked as a Graduate Project Engineer at Honeywell Process Solutions. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) and a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) from the University of Queensland as well as a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance from Kaplan Professional.

Head of Dealing/Portfolio Manager

Gus Roberts

Commenced in Industry – 2006 Joined the team – 2010

As the Head of Dealing, Gus is responsible for the day-to-day management of the dealing desk. Gus is a key contributor to portfolio performance and is responsible for the efficient execution of equity and derivative trading across the Solaris funds. Gus is responsible for all dealing operations, identifying profitable trading opportunities and communicating relevant market information to the investment team and is responsible for producing and analysing the team’s quantitative and risk analysis reports. Gus is also a Co-Portfolio Manager for the Solaris Long Short Fund and is responsible for producing and analysing the team’s quantitative and risk analysis reports. Gus holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance Major) from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investments through FINSIA.

Analyst/Portfolio Manager

Charles Story

Commenced in Industry – 2005 Joined the team – 2012

Charles has full portfolio responsibility as an Analyst, having commenced his career at Goldman Sachs and spending over five years gaining global experience in their London, Singapore and Tokyo offices. Charles received a Bachelor of Business degree (majoring in Economics) from the University of Queensland in 2004 and has since completed a Master of Applied Finance (majoring in Funds Management) from Macquarie University.

ESG Analyst

Natalia Tsurkova

Commenced in Industry – 2008 Joined the team – 2024

Natalia joined Solaris as an ESG Analyst and provides supplemental advice and direction on a range of ESG issues to the Solaris analysts. She commenced her career at Société Générale Bank as a Commercial Banking Credit Analyst, before becoming a Paraplanner at EquipSuper and most recently being employed as a Responsible Investment Analyst at the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA). Natalia has completed a Certified ESG Analyst® Diploma (EFFAS); a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Program (Financial Planning Association of Australia) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with honours).

Ratings

We are honoured to be recognised with some notable industry ratings across our funds.

Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund (Performance Alignment)
Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund
Solaris Australian Equity Long Short Fund
Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund (Performance Alignment)
Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund
Solaris Australian Equity Long Short Fund
Solaris Australian Equity Income Fund
Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund (Performance Alignment)
Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund
Solaris Australian Equity Long Short Fund
Solaris Australian Equity Income Fund
Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund (Performance Alignment)
Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund
Solaris Australian Equity Long Short Fund
Solaris Australian Equity Income Fund

Further information on our Ratings can be found in the Disclaimer section.

Sustainability

The incorporation of ESG issues into Solaris’ investment decision making process is an integral part of our business. Solaris believes that the consideration of ESG factors can help to protect and enhance our clients’ investments over the longer term.

To learn more about our sustainable investment credentials and approach view our Sustainability Page.

Disclaimer

Zenith Disclaimer: The Zenith Investment Partners (‘Zenith’) (ABN 27 103 132 672, AFSL 226872) rating (assigned SOL0001AU; WHT0012AU; WHT2589AU and WHT3859AU – September 2024) referred to in this piece is limited to “General Advice” (s766B Corporations Act 2001) for Wholesale clients only. This advice has been prepared without taking into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any individual, including target markets of financial products, where applicable, and is subject to change at any time without prior notice. It is not a specific recommendation to purchase, sell or hold the relevant product(s). Investors should seek independent financial advice before making an investment decision and should consider the appropriateness of this advice in light of their own objectives, financial situation and needs. Investors should obtain a copy of, and consider the PDS or offer document before making any decision and refer to the full Zenith Product Assessment available on the Zenith website. Past performance is not an indication of future performance. Zenith usually charges the product issuer, fund manager or related party to conduct Product Assessments. Full details regarding Zenith’s methodology, ratings definitions and regulatory compliance are available on our Product Assessments and at Fund Research Regulatory Guidelines.

Lonsec Disclaimer: The Lonsec Ratings (assigned as follows: WHT2589AU; WHT0012AU; SOL0001AU; WHT3859AU – October 2024) presented in this document are published by Lonsec Research Pty Ltd (‘Lonsec’) (ABN 11 151 658 561, AFSL 421445). The Ratings are limited to “General Advice” (as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) and based solely on consideration of the investment merits of the financial products. Past performance information is for illustrative purposes only and is not indicative of future performance. They are not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold Solaris products, and you should seek independent financial advice before investing in these products. The Ratings are subject to change without notice and Lonsec assumes no obligation to update the relevant documents following publication. Lonsec receives a fee from the Fund Manager for researching the products using comprehensive and objective criteria. For further information regarding Lonsec’s Ratings methodology, please refer to our website at https://www.lonsec.com.au/fund-manager/investment-product-ratings

Morningstar Disclaimer: © 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither Morningstar, its affiliates, nor the content providers guarantee the data or content contained herein to be accurate, complete or timely nor will they have any liability for its use or distribution. Any general advice or ‘class service’ have been prepared by Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN 95 090 665 544, AFSL 240892) and/or Morningstar Research Ltd, subsidiaries of Morningstar, Inc, without reference to your objectives, financial situation or needs. Refer to our Financial Services Guide (FSG) for more information at https://www.morningstar.com.au/s/fsg.pdf. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (Australian products) or Investment Statement (New Zealand products) before making any decision to invest. Our publications, ratings and products should be viewed as an additional investment resource, not as your sole source of information. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Some material is copyright and published under licence from ASX Operations Pty Ltd (‘ASXO’) (ACN 004 523 782). As at 10 July 2024 the Morningstar Analyst RatingTM for the Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund (Performance Alignment) is ‘Gold’. As at 10 July 2024 the Morningstar Analyst RatingTM for the Solaris Core Australian Equity Fund is ‘Silver’.

Genium Disclaimer: The Genium rating (assigned November 2024) presented in this document is issued by Genium Investment Partners Pty Ltd ABN 13 165 099 785, which is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Genium Advisory Services Pty Ltd ABN 94 304 403 582, AFSL 246580. The Rating is limited to “General Advice” (s766B Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) and has been prepared without taking into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any individual, including target markets of financial products, where applicable, and is subject to change at any time without notice. Past performance information is for illustrative purposes only and is not indicative of future performance. It is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold the relevant product(s). Investors should seek independent financial advice before making an investment decision in relation to this financial product(s). Genium receives a fee from the Fund Manager for researching and rating the product(s). Visit Geniumip.com.au for information regarding Genium’s Ratings methodology.

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Solaris respects and acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country. We recognise their continuous connection to the lands, waters and skies across Australia and express our sincere gratitude to the peoples on whose land we work.

© Solaris Investment Management

ACN 128 512 621 | AFSL 330505