Northern Trust Expands Longstanding Partnership with Brandes Investment Partners for Australian Fund Launch

Northern Trust has announced the expansion of its fund services relationship with Brandes Investment Partners to support the launch of the Brandes Global Value Fund in Australia. The expanded partnership provides global custody and fund administration servicing for the Australian Unit Trust, which is available to Australian institutional and wholesale investors. This development marks a significant extension of a relationship that began in 1992 and has grown to encompass multiple service areas over three decades.

The expansion enables Brandes Investment Partners to efficiently enter the Australian market with its first Australian-domiciled mutual fund. Brandes, a California-based investment advisory firm founded in 1974, specializes in managing global equity and fixed-income assets with a commitment to value investing. The firm's global strategy now includes this new offering for Australian investors, supported by Northern Trust's comprehensive service capabilities.

Ryan Burns, Head of Global Fund Services, Americas at Northern Trust, emphasized the strategic importance of this expansion, noting that it reflects the strength of the longstanding relationship and Northern Trust's ability to support Brandes' evolving global strategy. The partnership has previously included the integration of seven U.S. mutual funds into the Northern Trust Datum One Series Trust in 2024, demonstrating the scalability of Northern Trust's solutions for Brandes' distribution efforts worldwide.

Oliver Murray, Brandes CEO, highlighted the value of the three-decade relationship with Northern Trust, citing their scale, operational excellence, and high service standards. The partnership has allowed Brandes to streamline its U.S. Mutual Fund business and efficiently enter new markets, with the Australian launch representing the latest milestone in this collaborative growth strategy.

Northern Trust's Global Fund Services provides a complete suite of asset servicing solutions including fund administration, global custody, investment operations outsourcing, and data solutions. These services support complex investment strategies across all asset classes, making Northern Trust a critical infrastructure provider for financial institutions expanding into new markets. The expansion with Brandes demonstrates how established financial service providers can facilitate global market entry through reliable, scalable operational support.

The implications of this announcement extend beyond the immediate partnership, highlighting the growing importance of sophisticated fund servicing capabilities in enabling investment firms to expand their global footprint. As financial markets become increasingly interconnected, the ability to efficiently launch products in new jurisdictions requires robust operational infrastructure and trusted service providers with global reach and expertise.