BetaShares appoints chief economist

In the newly formed role, Mr Bassanese will be responsible for developing portfolio strategies for advisers and retail clients, a BetaShares statement said.

Mr Bassanese's most recent role has been as a columnist at the Australian Financial Review, where his thrice-weekly "Bassanese" column examines local and international macroeconomic trends.

Before his role at the AFR, Mr Bassanese was an interest rate strategist at Bankers Trust and Maquarie Bank.

"He started his career as a Commonwealth Treasury official, after which he spent three years as a research economist at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France," the statement said.

BetaShares managing director Alex Vynokur said he was "excited to have someone of David’s calibre join BetaShares in this newly formed role".

"As a leading Australian manager of exchange-traded products, we are committed to enhancing investor education, and David’s appointment is a significant milestone in that regard," Mr Vynokur said.