Private markets governance demand
Private equity and private credit are moving to the center of managed accounts, and advisers say governance expertise — especially in cross‑asset oversight — is becoming a key hiring signal for board candidates and committee chairs reported.
North report) shows North’s managed portfolios AUM climbed 31.8%, rising from $19.1 billion to $25.2 billion as at 30 December 2025. The same report records partnered managed-portfolio AUM increasing from $12.7 billion to $16.6 billion over 2025. (amp.com.au) The North insights note two-thirds of advisers now use managed accounts, up from one-in-five a decade earlier, reflecting structural adviser adoption. Industry IMAP data put total Australian managed-portfolio assets at $256.24 billion as of 30 June 2025, a 24.6% year-on-year rise. (moneymanagement.com.au) North has moved from analysis to product delivery with the launch of its Cornerstone Private Markets Managed Portfolio in partnership with Invest Blue Group, signalling active productisation of private-market access. The platform added 119 portfolios across 2025, taking the total on North to 597 portfolios. (moneymanagement.com.au) The report highlights separately managed accounts (SMAs) as the preferred wrapper for retail private-market offers because SMAs provide “added layers of governance,” while index managed portfolios remained the single most popular choice and partnered portfolios attracted over $2 billion in net inflows in the last year. (moneymanagement.com.au) Regulatory and investor-protection risks are front-of-mind after the Shield and First Guardian collapses, which together have been reported to affect roughly 12,000 investors and more than $1 billion in retirement savings, prompting ASIC inquiries and AFCA updates on complaint handling. (abc.net.au) Governance scrutiny in private markets is reinforced by external research: the CFA Institute’s survey flagged private‑market governance shortcomings and conflict‑of‑interest risks, while PwC projects private‑market revenues could reach US$432.2 billion by 2030—explaining why platforms and advisers are prioritising governance expertise as they add private offerings. (rpc.cfainstitute.org)
