A California asset manager is embracing the RIA channel with a new hire.

Guinness Atkinson [profile] has hired Frank Zukowski to serve as national sales director.  In this role, he will focus on serving registered investment advisors (RIAs) and Bank Trust Departments.

Zukowski previously served as the senior vice president and Director of RIA Consulting Group at Cohen & Steers, where he built and led a seven-member team responsible for sales and client services to RIAs and bank trusts. He also co-headed the National Accounts group. 

Chief executive Jim Atkinson told MFWire that Zukowski's hiring is the "embodiment" of a greater commitment to the RIA channel.

"In the past couple of years, we decided that we had to be more committed to this channel. We are going to put a bigger effort behind it. That is what Frank represents for us," Atkinson said.

Zukowski's predecessor, Karin Walkowitz, who Atkinson said "was fantastic and extremely good at her job," was focused more on national accounts management while at Guinness. Walkowitz, who had served as Guinness' director of strategic development for three years, left in March to serve as business development manager for Sammons Retirement Solutions.

Atkinson said that Zukowski is "working to develop a plan on how he will attack the marketplace."

In the meantime, Guinness is also busy preparing for the rollout of the GUINNESS ATKINSON ETF TRUST, which the firm had registered in April. Atkinson said that the firm has a "well-thought out" plan for launching the fund, growing the product lineup and then marketing the products.

The launch for this product is slated for sometime in the third quarter.

Here is the press release:

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Company Press Release

GUINNESS ATKINSON APPOINTS NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR

Firm aims to enhance service to RIA market

Woodland Hills, CA, July 9, 2013--Guinness Atkinson Asset Management, advisor to the Guinness Atkinson Funds, has appointed Frank Zukowski to the position of National Sales Director.  In this role, he will focus on serving registered investment advisors (RIAs) and Bank Trust Departments.

  “Frank’s extensive experience in working with RIAs and Bank Trusts and his understanding of their unique needs will be a tremendous asset to our firm as we look to expand and strengthen our relationships with financial advisors,” said Jim Atkinson, chief executive officer at Guinness Atkinson.”

    Zukowski’s outreach to these investor groups will build upon Guinness Atkinson’s previous efforts to inform investors about the firm’s long-standing philosophy of investing in human progress.  This overarching theme is realized through the firm’s extensive expertise and mutual fund strategies developed for investing in emerging Asia, global conventional and alternative energy sectors, and innovation on the company level.  Explaining the role the strategies can play in investors’ portfolios will be at the core of Zukowski’s distribution efforts.

  Frank Zukowski has 23 years of experience in financial services.  Prior to joining Guinness Atkinson, he served as the Senior Vice President and Director of RIA Consulting Group at Cohen & Steers, where he built and led a seven-member team responsible for sales and client services to RIAs and Bank Trusts.  He also co-headed the National Accounts group.  Before joining Cohen & Steers in 2002, he spent over ten years at Merrill Lynch where he held multiple senior positions in financial advisor-related activities, including Vice President of Office of Investment Performance, in which he trained the firm’s financial advisors on asset allocation and investment performance-related products and services.  Zukowski holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Rutgers University.

About Guinness Atkinson

  Guinness Atkinson Asset Management offers eight no-load mutual funds which combine a forward-thinking worldview with the fundamental research of an experienced investment team. Investing in human progress is intrinsic to every Guinness Atkinson investment strategy, which are broadly grouped under three key themes:

  Asia – Guinness Atkinson offers four Asia focused investment strategies including the Renminbi Yuan and Bond (GARBX), Asia Focus (IASMX), China & Hong Kong (ICHKX) and Asia Dividend (GAADX) strategies.

  Energy – Guinness Atkinson covers the full spectrum of energy equity investing with Global Energy (GAGEX), focused on traditional sources of energy and the Alternative Energy (GAAEX) Fund which is a pure-play investment vehicle for solar, wind and other clean energy investments.

  Innovation-- A focus on company innovation rounds out the GA fund line up with the Global Innovators (IWIRX) Fund and the newly launched Inflation Managed Dividend Fund (GAINX).

  The Guinness Atkinson family of funds is designed to help investors capitalize on innovation and profound change, including long term global trends such as the development of emerging Asian markets, the transformation of the manufacturing economy to a New Economy and the long-term rise in energy prices.

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Mutual fund investing involves risk and loss of principal is possible. Investments in foreign securities involve greater volatility, political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods. These risks are greater for emerging markets countries. Non-diversified funds concentrate assets in fewer holdings than diversified funds. Therefore, non-diversified funds are more exposed to individual stock volatility then diversified funds. Investments in debt securities typically decrease in value when interest rates rise, which can be greater for longer-term debt securities. The Fund may invest in derivatives which involves risks different from, and in certain cases, greater than the risks presented by traditional investments. The Fund also invests in smaller companies, which will involve additional risks such as limited liquidity and greater volatility. Funds concentrated in a specific sector or geographic region may be subject to more volatility than a more diversified investment. Investments focused in a single geographic region may be exposed to greater risk than investments diversified among various geographies. Investments focused on the energy sector may be exposed to greater risk than an investments diversified among various sectors.

  The Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The statutory & summary prospectus contains this and other important information about the investment company, and they may be obtained by calling 800-915-6565, or visiting gafunds.com. Read it carefully before investing. While the Funds are no load, management fees and other expense will apply.

  Distributed by Quasar Distributors, LLC

  

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