Due to a growth in subscribers Lonsec has revamped its research team, adding a former Professional Investment Services (PIS) staffer to a senior position.

Darren Howlin has joined the research firm as a research manager, with the primary role of driving the strategic growth of Lonsec research coverage.

Prior to his appointment, Howlin was a research manager at PIS and has also spent time at Suncorp.

"Darren is a senior appointment to Lonsec research and the business will benefit from his understanding of research from a dealer group perspective," Lonsec general manager research Grant Kennaway said.

Former Financial Facts staffer Fawaz Rashid has also joined Lonsec as a senior investment analyst and Stewart Gault has been added to the income and alternative products research team. He will be responsible for conducting reviews of structured products, hedge funds and alternative investments.

"Stewart has an engineering background ... combined with his funds management experience, we look forward to him picking apart products and funds from a different angle," Kennaway said.

Along with these appointments comes the departure of Bronwen Moncrieff, who has taken up an investment research role with the Future Fund. Her role has been filled internally by Rui Fernandes, who has been promoted to the role of senior analyst.

Lonsec is now on the hunt for a generalist analyst and has a team of 35 research professionals.