Russell Investments opens private markets for retail investors with launch on North platform
New managed portfolio aims to lower barriers to private markets through platform access and simplified implementation
Sydney, 26 March 2026 – Russell Investments has launched a Private Markets Managed Portfolio, bringing a portfolio of private equity, private credit and real assets onto AMP’s North platform with a minimum investment of $25,000 for advised clients.
The portfolio is designed to address longstanding barriers to private markets implementation, including high minimum investments, complex structures, and limited accessibility within advised client portfolios.
“Advisers have wanted to incorporate private markets into portfolios for some time, but implementation has been the challenge,” said Neil Rogan, Head of Distribution, Australia and New Zealand at Russell Investments. “Bringing this onto platform with a lower minimum investment makes it far more practical to use in everyday client portfolios.”
David Hutchison, General Manager of Managed Portfolios and Investments at AMP, said: “We’re seeing strong demand from advisers to incorporate private markets into diversified portfolios, but access and implementation have been key constraints. Expanding our investment menu with the addition of Russell Investments’ Private Markets Managed Portfolio on North helps address those barriers in a way that is practical for advisers and their clients, providing true diversification through a well-governed menu.”
A growing share of global companies are staying private for longer, meaning more value creation is occurring outside listed markets. At the same time, adviser demand for private markets exposure is increasing as portfolio construction evolves beyond traditional asset classes.
The portfolio provides diversified exposure across private equity, private credit and real assets, with underlying strategies selected through Russell Investments’ global research platform.
“Manager selection is critical in private markets, where outcomes can vary widely,” Rogan said.
“Our global scale and research capability allows us to identify high-quality opportunities from leading managers, making them accessible in a format that can be more easily implemented in client portfolios.”
The managed portfolio structure combines private market strategies with more liquid exposures, including ETFs, to help support portfolio management and access to capital over time. It also offers consolidated reporting through the platform.
The portfolio is designed to complement listed equity and fixed income exposures, giving advisers a practical way to introduce private markets as a diversifier within broader client portfolios.
The design reflects Russell Investments’ institutional approach to private markets. Insights from its Private Markets Playbook 2026 highlight the importance of selectivity and manager quality in the current environment, particularly as dispersion in manager outcomes increases.
The portfolio will be available on North from Monday 30 March 2026.
Further Background
How the portfolio works
The Russell Investments Private Markets Managed Portfolio:
- Invests across 3 to 15 underlying strategies in private equity, private credit and real assets.
- Combines evergreen, open-ended strategies with liquid exposures, such as ETFs, to help provide staged access to capital.
- Has underlying funds that are priced at least monthly combined with platform-based reporting.
- Is available on North to eligible advisers.
Why this matters
- A larger share of economic value creation is occurring in private markets, with companies staying private longer. The average time to IPO has more than doubled globally in the past two decades.
- Investors who rely solely on public markets risk missing part of that opportunity set.
- Private markets have historically been difficult to access and implement in client portfolios, this Separately Managed Account (SMA) offering goes further to democratise private markets for advised retail investors.
- Advisers are increasingly looking for ways to diversify portfolios and access a broader range of return drivers.
Private Markets Playbook 2026 link
About Russell Investments
About Russell Investments
Russell Investments is a leading global investment solutions partner providing a wide range of investment capabilities to institutional investors, financial intermediaries, and individual investors around the world. Since 1936, Russell Investments has been building a legacy of continuous innovation to deliver exceptional value to clients, working every day to improve people’s financial security. The firm has A$565 billion in assets under management (as of 31/12/2025) for clients in 31 countries. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Russell Investments has offices in 17 cities around the world.
Russell Investments' ownership is composed of a majority stake held by funds managed by TA Associates Management, L.P., with a significant minority stake held by funds managed by Reverence Capital Partners, L.P. Certain of Russell Investments' employees and Hamilton Lane Advisors, LLC also hold minority, non-controlling, ownership stake.
Important information
Issued by Russell Investment Management Ltd ABN 53 068 338 974, AFSL 247185 (RIM). RIM is the investment adviser for the Managed Portfolio. This document provides general information for financial advisers who are AFS licence holders or representatives only. This document contains factual information only. The information provided is not intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. RIM is not providing financial product advice in this document. This document has not been prepared having regard to any investor’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision, an investor must obtain advice from a financial adviser and consider whether that advice is appropriate to their objectives, financial situation or needs. Any potential investor should also consider the latest financial product disclosure statement in respect of the Managed Portfolio (‘‘Disclosure Document’’) in deciding whether to make, or continue to hold, an investment in the Managed Portfolio. The Disclosure Document can be obtained by contacting a financial adviser or the relevant platform operator(s) offering the Managed Portfolio.
To the extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage as a result of reliance on this information. This work is copyright 2026. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of Russell Investment Management Ltd.