Amidst renewed global volatility in markets and interest rate uncertainty, asset managers are once again facing the need to define their client value proposition beyond performance. What are investors looking for from firms? What will the brand campaigns of the next few years look like? In this discussion we will hear from investment firms about how they plan to position and differentiate themselves in the next few years.
As asset management undergoes a spate of mega-deals and mergers, the conventional wisdom seems to be that bigger is better. Scale allows firms to achieve efficiencies, cut costs and charge clients less in an extremely fee-sensitive environment. However, as interest grows amongst investors in alternative asset classes such as private markets, is there a role for smaller more boutique firms with specific expertise? This session will look at the challenges and opportunities for both and what is next for the industry.
The sale of two-century City stalwart Schroders to the larger American asset manager Nuveen has people asking existential questions about the City, as at the time of writing firms from across the pond also butt heads over buying out Janus Henderson. Bloomberg recently featured a piece calling the acquisition the "inevitable end of an era for London", detailing how Schroders had struggled to compete in an era of global giants and passive investing. Has London lost its lustre as a home for investment managers, and can the UK rebuild its reputation?