GLOBAL – Deutsche Bank had rebranded its asset management divisions, imposing the “super-brand” of Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (AWM) – shortly after a US pension fund dropped the alternatives manager RREEF over organisational concerns.

RREEF, and initially the entire asset management unit, was the subject of abortive sales talks between the German lender and Guggenheim Partners last year after Deutsche said in late 2011 that it was considering “all options” as it reviewed its asset management unit.

It announced a few weeks prior to the collapse of talks with Guggenheim that it would integrate the asset management division and said in September that AWM would serve as its “fourth business pillar”.

A spokeswoman for the company said the new brand would allow its clients “direct access to the full range” of the bank’s asset and wealth products.

“Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, the dominant ‘super-brand’ for the combined group, will give the division cohesion, while capitalising on the value already built up in the former businesses and product brands,” she added.

The spokeswoman said previous brands would be “superseded” by the AWM name.

The online presences for db X-trackers, the exchange-traded funds business, RREEF and DWS no longer make use of its previous identities, instead using the AWM brand – while stating clearly the division’s individual responsibility for ETFs, real estate and active asset management.

However, the spokeswoman added that former brands would remain in place on a “product level”, such as individual fund names, and that the DWS brand would be retained in Germany.

Sal Oppenheim Group, acquired by the bank in 2010, will also see its wealth management division retain its name.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of Deutsche’s asset management business recently began impacting its client base.

The $14.2bn (€10.5bn) State Universities Retirement System of Illinois earlier this month said it would be pulling two portfolios worth a combined $325m from RREEF.

The fund’s CIO Daniel Allen said its board felt there were “too many organisation issues with RREEF and Deutsche Bank” and therefore decided to end its relationship.

Topics