Tuesday, March 28, 2017 Stamford, CT USA — Greenwich Associates today named NEPC, Pavilion Advisory Group and Segal Marco Advisors as the 2016 Greenwich Quality Leaders among Large U.S. Investment Consultants and AJO, Baillie Gifford and NISA Investment Advisors the 2016 Greenwich Quality Leaders in U.S. Institutional Investment Management Service.
Institutions Seek Consultants with New Approaches and Ideas
Investment consultants that receive the strongest quality ratings from institutional clients in the annual Greenwich Associates research are those that demonstrate the willingness and ability to develop a deep understanding of the institution and its needs. “This is relationship that goes much deeper than manager search and due diligence,” says Greenwich Associates Managing Director Andrew McCollum.
Consulting firms’ success in delivering on these advisory relationships depends to a large extent on the individual consultant running the account, who must demonstrate broad expertise in financial markets, a deep understanding of the client’s needs, and the comprehensive knowledge of their firms’ own capabilities needed to marshal the required resources.
Institutions today are looking to consultants for advice on how to address their goals through investment strategy, portfolio construction and execution. “Institutions want consultants who can both help create the architectural design, and find the best building materials to actually construct the edifice,” says Greenwich Associates Managing Director Davis Walmsley.
Greenwich Associates also named the following firms as 2016 Greenwich Quality Leaders among Mid-Sized Consultants: Rocaton Investment Advisors, Summit Strategies Group and Townsend Group.
Top Asset Managers Understand Complex Needs and Provide Solutions
Service quality in asset management has many components—all of which must work together seamlessly to meet the complex needs of institutional investors.
The role of an institutional relationship manager (RM) has changed dramatically and it continues to evolve. “A role that was once essentially product sales now is now much more demanding and complex,” says Greenwich Associates Managing Director Andrew McCollum. “Today, an institutional relationship manager must develop a deep understanding of the client’s needs and to know the firm’s product capabilities well enough to present a solution to those needs.”
RMs must have credibility and the personality required to build and sustain the kind of consultative, advisory relationships that institutional investors are seeking from their asset managers today.
“The list of 2017 Greenwich Quality Leaders demonstrates that asset managers can deliver this type of relationship at different levels, with some firms offering advice within a specific asset class and others providing solutions at a portfolio and even organizational level,” says Greenwich Associates consultant Davis Walmsley.