Veteran and newer managers alike will get a great deal from this session featuring a talent specialist and managers that have navigated (and continue to navigate) their way from start-up to emerging to established fund.

You will learn about the roles of an asset manager (hint: it’s more than just PM), required skills, pay/comp packages, hiring/termination, and exactly what you need to do to staff your shop up right.

This is part 3 of our Starting an Alternative Fund series to be held throughout 2019. The topics this series will cover are the following:

Establishment:

• Structure and registration of the Fund Management Company – including roles, tax planning, proficiencies, capital requirements, creating a business plan, and (important!) managing expectations of investors and those starting the company
• Onshore fund structuring and tax planning – types of funds (including liquid alts) and costs
• Offshore fund structuring and tax planning – jurisdictions, why do so, advantages and disadvantages of structures, cost of going offshore; as well as how to engage service providers in various jurisdictions

Mid/back-office:

• Choosing service providers – primes, legal, auditor, fund administrator
• Compliance and Operations facets of establishing and maintaining a fund management company and various funds
• Finding staff/talent and compensation structures
• Getting ready for operations audits – including prescribed ones by securities commissions and those performed by out-sourced due diligence companies and in-house talent of potential investors
• Specific service providers and niche functions – which might include software, performance reporting (solutions), and trading venders; class action services, Fundserv back-office functions, Managed Account Platforms, due diligence services, and listing funds on an exchange

Sales & Marketing:

• Selling into the Retail channel – true retail/liquid alts as well as Accredited Investors/Offering Memorandum product (will include a primer on liquid alts and the market to date)
• Selling to sophisticated investors – including the Retail Accredited Investor channel, multi and single family offices, and institutional investors such as Canadian and foreign sovereign wealth funds, foundations & endowments, and public & private pension plans (both direct and through investment consultants)
• PR and exposure – honing your message and how to use earned adverting (aka free PR) to deliver it to the right audience (includes use of social media)
• Public opinion and industry surveys – using broad and targeted surveys to deliver actionable data for use in product design, pricing, and messaging