Events

Moderated by IMEA Chair George Riedel, Head of U.S. Intermediaries at T. Rowe Price, this all-member roundtable focused on highlights from the IMEA-BCG joint survey, The Future of Distribution. Participants heard survey results and exchanged perspectives on digital distribution processes, best practices and more:
 

DISCISSION TOPICS

• Increased productivity and changing mindsets, despite the disruption of the Pandemic
• Changes in Advisor behavior and how they serve clients
• Firm priorities and organization
• Data science / analytics and capabilities

Led by Jim Cove, Senior Vice President, Investment Strategies & Product Management at Natixis, this interactive discussion explored many of the issues product leaders face today, including:

• ESG Funds: Launching New Funds vs. Converting Existing Funds
• Privates
• Active Semi-Transparent ETFs
• Model Portfolios
• Cryptocurrency Products

Led by Glen Yelton, Head of ESG Client Services, North America at Invesco, the discussion explored regulatory approaches for investment managers and other topics, including:

• Integration vs. product
• SFDR and the increased emphasis on ESG for the SEC and DOL
• Potential implications of recent European Union regulations
• Reporting & education
• Client experience

The Roundtable brought together sales and distribution executives for a candid discussion of post-COVID sales coverage and what changes may stay as teams begin the journey back to “normal.”

Lee Kowarski of SS&C Technologies moderated the discussion with sales leaders from American Century, Franklin Templeton and John Hancock sharing their insights on:

• What post-COVID sales will look like
• Redefining perceptions of internal, external, and hybrid sales roles
• Skill sets for successful sales representatives and how they may or may not have changed
• Relationship building
• Balancing schedules for sales representatives to ensure territories are covered

In this live, interactive event, companies shared their experiences and processes as they deal with the impact of 2020 and virtual engagement approaches with advisors.

 

In this live, interactive Roundtable, IMEA’s ESG Committee was officially launched as the group examined the accelerating issues surrounding ESG and outlined issues and potential initiatives and strategies going forward.

During this live, interactive Roundtable discussion led by the ESG Leadership Committee, several key areas of interest were identified by the group:

• Regulation
• Integration vs. Product
• Reporting
• Client Experience
• Education

In this live, interactive Zoom event, IMEA’s Product Council Roundtable discussed many aspects of the Active ETF landscape. More than 40 attendees
from 21 firms participated in this interactive discussion, sharing where they are in their ETF journey and how they got there.

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DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS

IMEA’s Product Council steering committee member Mike Twohig of Goldman Sachs moderated the discussion. Key points
made in the Roundtable:

• We are in the first phase of the active ETF segment of the industry.  Active non-transparent ETFs are considered the third phase of ETF innovation.  The first being passive, then smart-beta.
• Active ETFs, whether transparent or semi/non-transparent provide existing ETF sponsors an opportunity to expand their product sets by offering new strategies or modify existing strategies in an ETF format.
• These products provide new entrants with opportunities to offer their products in the popular ETF format.
• Currently, active US Equity strategies only exist with US listed firms, but this will evolve over time and be a catalyst for new entrants.

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MODERATOR

Mike Twohig
MEA Steering Committee Vice President
Goldman Sachs
[email protected] 

 
 
DISCUSSION LEADERS

Sandra Testani
Vice President, ETF Product & Strategy
American Century 
[email protected]

 

Tony Kelly
Head of Product Development for ETFs
Goldman Sachs 
[email protected]  

 

 
Todd Rosenbluth
Head of ETF & Mutual Fund Research
CFRA 
[email protected]  

 

In this live, interactive event, members talked about various approaches in portfolio construction related to technology, team structure and globalization.

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Discussion Highlights

Technology

• Buy vs. build is an Important decision dependent on needs of customization vs. scale.
• Some firms are using a combination of homegrown and purchased solutions.
• Development of digital tools is a top priority.

Team Structure

• Majority of teams align to distribution.
• Regionalization nudges service models upstream and requires clear segmentation strategy.
• Rotational (Q Intake rotation) allows sales to decide if they present or bring in home office (less key person risk).
• Benefits of divisional specialist alignment depend on team size and channelization of sales force.

Globalization

• Many asset allocation insights are universal across regions.
• Need to prioritize regions and gather local analytical resources to customize offering.
• Expansion plans need to be mindful of regions’ market structure and local sales team interest.

Participant List

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Discussion Leaders

Solon “Bud” Person
EVP & Director Portfolio
Federated Hermes

Adam Hetts
Global Head of Portfolio Construction and Strategy
Janus Henderson Investors

Mike Kubik
Portfolio Construction Specialist
T. Rowe Price

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IMEA Chair George Riedel, was joined by consultants from Boston Consulting Group and Casey Quirk/Deloitte for a discussion of the challenges facing investment management companies in 2021. Listen to the replay to hear what they had to say about Advisor Segmentation, M&A and fee compression.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Part of IMEA’s Insight Series, this exclusive two-part podcast, presented by ISS, takes a closer look at ESG, offering historical and global perspective and discussion from a panel of recognized ESG thought leaders.

Watch the replay from our Marketing Roundtable moderated by the Marketing Council Steering Committee. Discussions included:

• Diversity & Inclusion
• Client Segmentation
• Prospecting & Lead Generation
• Client Journeys
• Distributing Targeted Content
• Marketing Organizational Structure & Collaboration Across Marketing Teams

 
 
PRESENTATION

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How has thinking on portfolio construction services evolved? What’s changed and stayed the same since the Pandemic? Hear perspectives from three leading firms on activity levels, digital support and challenges and opportunities on the horizon. Listen in on additional In Sessions.

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The current environment has resulted in new and increased expectations on digital teams to dynamically deliver valuable content. But, what is the right balance between digital deluge and effective engagement? And, what opportunities have been created by increased collaboration between sales and marketing? Listen in on additional In Sessions.

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The pandemic has impacted nearly every phase of the client service model from increased reliance on digital and technology platforms, to continued expectations for enhanced personalized experiences to finding the right balance of client communications, investment management firms are redefining what successful client engagement looks like.

Listen in to this candid conversation with leaders of the IMEA Digital, Marketing and Product Councils for insight on what’s working, what’s not and next steps in this ever changing environment. Listen in on additional In Sessions.

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Leading industry consultant and IMEA Partner ISS MI shared perspectives and research on how the pandemic is affecting the product development process including:

• Product Priority Shifts

• Investment Vehicle Focus

• Impact on ESG/Impact Strategies

• Product Specific Challenges

• Product Launch Obstacles

 
PRESENTATION

The Coronavirus Crisis has accelerated the embracement of digital engagement, significantly impacting the dynamic of the sales and marketing relationship. The role of data in delivering a personalized, targeted client experience is more critical than ever. This discussion will provide perspectives on what has changed; opportunities and challenges that have emerged; and, what things will look like moving forward.

 
Hosted by: IMEA Digital Council
 
 
PRESENTATION

The current market environment is a trying time not only for financial advisors and marketing participants, but also for investment management professionals. Nonetheless, these periods of volatility and uncertainty offer an opportunity to discover new techniques to help you and your teams cope.

Listen in as IMEA member Janus Henderson Investors provided actionable tools to identify the source of stress, our reactions to it and ways to manage it more productively.

 
Hosted by: IMEA Distribution Council
 

PRESENTATION

Executive Roundtable
Wednesday, May 6 • 2:00 PM ET

Listen as IMEA’ Executive Committee, led by Chair Bob Geppner of Franklin Templeton, provided an opportunity to engage with peers on critical issues on everyone’s mind. Items for discussion included:

• Will internal sales and hybrid wholesaling be more prevalent moving forward?

• How will social distancing effect large gatherings and conferences in the near to intermediate term? Will video conferencing become the norm?

• Will clients will embrace technology more for items like portfolio updates etc.?

• Cybersecurity and other WFH concerns.

 

PRESENTATION

From Source to CRM: Ingesting and leveraging Advisor Team Data for Intelligent Distribution
Wednesday, April 29 • 4:00 PM ET

Today more advisors are members of a functional team than just a year ago. What you don’t know about these teams can lead to ineffective and inaccurate reporting, sales, marketing, and targeting strategies. This webinar will share how investment managers are using Advisor Atlas team data in applications like SalesPage and SalesStation to improve accuracy, effectiveness, and decision-making. Topics slated to be discussed include:

• Can you tie sales and activity back to relevant teams? Is that data accurate?

• Is marketing able to reach the right person with the right message, quickly?

• How effective is your BI team if they can’t see the entire buying unit as a whole?

 

PRESENTATION

A Conversation with Morningstar: Portfolio Construction & Model Programs
Wednesday, April 15 • 1:00 PM ET

This discussion focused on initiatives for the qualitative research, analysis and measurement of these solutions. Potential opportunities in the current environment were also addressed.

 

PRESENTATION

Hosted by the IMEA, this webinar will provide advisors with perspectives from multiple firms regarding the impact of Coronavirus on current market conditions.

Join leaders from Franklin Templeton Investments, Matthews Asia and Invesco as they share thoughts on the impact of Coronavirus, the surrounding market volatility and an outlook for the remainder of the year.

Discussion topics include:
• The Impact of Coronavirus
• Strategies in a Volatile Market
• What Will Policy Response Be?
• Ways To Help Your Clients Succeed in this Market

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PRESENTERS

Moderator: JENNIFER BALL Senior Vice President, Marketing — Franklin Templeton Investments Jennifer is responsible on a worldwide basis for Product Marketing, Client Marketing and Client Strategies & Analytics. Before joining Franklin Templeton’s Global Marketing Services in 2011, she was the senior vice president of Product & Marketing for Franklin Templeton’s Canadian operation.

ROBERT J. HORROCKS, PhD Chief Investment Officer & Portfolio Manager — Matthews Asia With Matthews Asia since 2018, Robert manages the firm’s Asian Growth and Income Strategy and co-manages the Asia Dividend and Asia ex Japan Dividend Strategies. As Chief Investment Officer, Robert oversees the firm’s investment process and investment professionals and sets the research agenda for the investment team.

BRIAN LEVITT Global Market Strategist, North America — Invesco Distributors, Inc. Brian joined Invesco in 2000 and is responsible for the development and communication of the firm’s investment outlooks and insights. He has two decades of experience in the asset management industry.

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RESOURCES
 
• Implications of the Coronavirus for Natural Resource Investors
• Coping with Coronavirus-Induced Market Volatility: A Multi-Asset Update
• 2020 Global Investment Outlook
• Fixed Income Views
• Municipal Bond Perspective: Approach High Yield with Caution
• Full Economic Implications of Coronavirus Largely Unknown

 

• The coronavirus knocked our 2020 outlook off track. But maybe not for long.
• 2020 Outlook: Getting back on track
• Compelling Wealth Management Conversations
• Equity Strategy Playbook
• Income Strategy Playbook

 

• Webcast — Coronavirus Update
• Coronavirus Q&A
• Troubled Times Can Give Birth to Opportunity
• 2020 Outlook for Asian Markets
• The Coronavirus Impact on China and Global Growth
• AsiaNow: The China Edition

 

Senior marketing leaders gathered at Columbia Threadneedle in Boston on March 5 for the IMEA Strategic Marketing Pop-Up Roundtable. A presentation by Forrester, “The Business Case for Marketing Innovation” was followed by engaging discussion by senior marketing strategists on issues including:

• Marketing Talent & Managing Teams
• Marketing Organizational Structures
• Current Ste of Sales/Marketing Dynamics
• Global Marketing Challenges
• Marketing as a Driver of Diversity & Inclusion
• Optimizing Data

Let us know if you’d like to learn about Roundtable highlights. Look for announcement of more Pop-Up Roundtables in all investment management business areas coming soon.

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AGENDA   ATTENDEES

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PRESENTATION

Trends in Marketing & Marketing Data – Cutter Associates Benchmarking Survey Results

Cutter Associates surveyed asset management marketing leaders across four marketing focus areas: strategy, content, channels and operations. The survey results revealed a number of surprises, and points to an overall trend of transformation as marketers are embracing new forms of communication to better engage audiences. Key take-aways and trends will be presented with discussion to follow.

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PRESENTATION

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PRESENTER
John Refford, Consulting Director — Cutter Associates
John works with asset managers to improve their strategy and tactics on various client facing initiatives including: customer experience management, marketing automation, lead generation, client portals, client reporting, material production, email marketing, data management and analytics.

AGENDA    ATTENDEE LIST

The IMEA Leadership Summit brought together senior leaders in distribution, product, marketing and innovation. This invitation-only event was hosted by Nuveen in New York on October 30. Agenda highlights include:

• The Impact of the Ongoing Asset & Wealth Management Revolution
• Model Portfolios on the Rise
• Financial Literacy: How to Engage
• Executive Roundtable

Tuesday, October 29
Leadership Dinner | 6:00 – 9:00 PM | Embassy Room
Westin New York Grand Central
212 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017

Wednesday, October 30
Leadership Summit | 8:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Nuveen
730 Third Avenue, New York, USA 10017
27th Floor, Greenough Hub Room

Investment management marketers and innovators came together for expert presentations and candid discussions at the annual IMEA Marketing Summit. Leaders from firms of all AUM classes had the chance to share insights, concerns and solutions in a neutral and professional environment.

AGENDA      ATTENDEE LIST      SPEAKER BIOS

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Tuesday, September 24, 2019 | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Digital Council Roundtable

Mid-America Club – Aon Center 200 East Randolph Drive, 80th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601

Tuesday, September 24, 2019 | 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM Marketing Summit

Mid-America Club – Aon Center 200 East Randolph Drive, 80th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601

 

In partnership with official Program Sponsor IMPRINT, the 2019 STAR Awards honored excellence in marketing and communications.

View the 2019 STAR Awards recipients

 

Second Annual Portfolio Construction Roundtable

AGENDA

IMEA’s Product Council brought together executives involved in Portfolio Construction and Model Portfolios for the second annual Portfolio Construction Roundtable. Conversation centered around the trends and challenges in this rapidly growing business area. The day included Cerulli presenting current research, client perspective from Morgan Stanley and Envestnet, as well as an intimate discussion on Establishing the Right Portfolio Construction Engagement Model.

Topics discussed include:

• Standard vs. Custom Model Construction Support
• Integrating Firm Asset Allocation Views
• Sales Professionals & Portfolio Construction Specialist Roles
• Leveraging Data
• Training
• Advisor Segmentation Strategy
• Digital & Web Client Engagement
• Open Discussion

 
PRESENTATIONS

 

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 30, 2019 | 6:00 PM Networking Dinner Bobby Van’s Steakhouse 131 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022

Wednesday, July 31, 2019 | 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM Portfolio Construction Roundtable K&L Gates 599 Lexington Ave, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10022

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Investment management executives with responsibilities in distribution, sales and product management and development will come together in Boston to examine top-of-mind issues in these critical business areas. Leading firms providing perspective include American Century, BlackRock, Columbia Threadneedle, Fidelity, McKinsey, Macquarie, Merrill, Morgan Stanley, Natixis, Nuveen, PIMCO, Principal, Putnam and State Street.

DISTRIBUTION AGENDA    PRODUCT AGENDA   ATTENDEE LIST      SPEAKER BIOS   

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IMEA hosted its annual Digital Summit at the Franklin Templeton campus in sunny St. Petersburg, FL.

Addressing key issues around technology trends, personalization, advisor tools and more, participants participated in a day of idea-sharing amongst leading digital strategists.

AGENDA    SPEAKERS    ATTENDEES

The fund industry sits at important crossroads on a number of fronts, carrying critical long-term implications for asset managers. This webinar will provide perspectives on important drivers of industry change and key considerations for fund managers in adapting to such change in 2018 and beyond. Topics will include assessing evolving investor demand characteristics, engaging a rapidly evolving adviser-sold marketplace, key product strategy considerations, and more.

PRESENTATION