Tim Bradbury, the former co-head of iShares Australia, has launched a new specialised education business that aims to enhance how much advisors know about exchange traded funds and products. 

ETF Consulting, the new firm, provides ETF training to advisor channels, issuers and institutions and was created to address the "lack of expertise in the Australian market" particularly at a time of growth for the said asset class.

According to a study by BlackRock in June 2011 titled "ETF Landscape - Celebrating 10 years of ETFs in Australia," Australian ETF/ETP assets are expected to exceed $10 billion by the end of 2013.

Over the last two years, the number of ETFs trading in the Australian Stock Exchange have reached 50 despite only a 2.8 per cent rise in market capitalisation to $4.2 billion in the year to November 2011. Bradbury says this signals an increase in the number of issuers entering the market and the greater need for better educated advisors who can easily spot opportunities. 

"Investor awareness of the unique strategies of ETFs is continuing to climb. Financial advisors and institutions that do not grasp the opportunities with both hands right now may be left behind," said Bradbury. 

Tim Bradbury has over 20 years of experience in Australian financial services and has specialised in ETFs and ETPs in the last five years. He co-launched and led the team that initiated iShares ETFs in Australia.