ALUMNI FOCUS

Andrew Formica, Master of Economics, 1993

Andrew Formica turned a passion for numbers into a brilliant international career. Originally from Sydney, Andrew earned a Master of Economics from Macquarie in 1993.

He is currently the CEO of Henderson Group, a London-based asset management firm with a £3 billion market capitalisation, and is the driving force behind a groundbreaking business initiative.

When made responsible for graduate recruitment at Henderson, instead of recruiting from the ‘usual suspects’ – highly academically gifted individuals – he sought to increase the diversity of people coming into the firm by looking for other skills and characteristics, such as compassion, commitment and dedication.

“Since the program (named Investment 2020) was launched five years ago it has been a resounding success, he says. “The people we have hired have come with an enthusiasm and energy that has become infectious throughout the firm.”

This is not just about altruism; it makes strong business sense, he adds. “The trainees we have put through our program, and their families, are now our best ambassadors.

“We have clients who, on hearing about the program, say it tells them much about our ethos and culture and that we are a firm with which they want to do business.

“All of us have a strong responsibility as alumni to make sure we don’t just focus on our own careers, but also on those coming along behind us.

“Macquarie has given me the strong belief that we should focus our energies on supporting activities that mean the most to us rather than focusing only on academic or financial success.”