Letter from Luxembourg, June 2024
Sheenagh Gordon-Hart, Independent Director at The Director’s Office
Half-way through the year already – and what a big year it is, at least politically. The results of the European parliamentary elections are in, and jostling for the top jobs has begun in earnest. Interestingly, and likely comforting for Brussels insiders, the turnout was better than it has been for twenty-five years at 51.1% but still nowhere near what true enthusiasts would like to see.
Letter from Hong Kong, June 2024
Stewart Aldcroft is a Hong Kong resident, veteran of the asset management industry and member of the FBC Advisory Council.
Since I last wrote this letter in March, it seems like it has not stopped raining here in Hong Kong. It is one of life’s stranger anomalies, that most Hong Kong people who have been to the UK, will talk about the weather and the frequency of rain there.
Viewpoint: Philip Warland
A number of incidents in the recent past has got me thinking about governance. The first was Stuart Kirk’s typically contrary piece in the FT about the proven uselessness of governance as a driver of economic success.
Letter from Hong Kong – March 2024
As I write this letter from my lofty perch on an island in Hong Kong overlooking the South China Sea, I am conscious that many readers may never have visited our tropical paradise, or if they have, it might have been many years ago, and especially before Covid 19 disrupted the globe.
Fund Board Composition – evolution, impact and regulatory requirements
FBC’s Shiv Taneja and Catherine Battershill discussed the annual update of the FBC Fund Board Composition Database (FBC Database) at a digital event on 6 February 2024
Where does fund pricing pressure come from?
We constantly hear about price pressure in the fund management industry globally. The most often quoted strategic drivers include competition from passive funds and regulation. The reality is more nuanced, and the complex landscape of distribution creates multiple pressure points, all impacting on the price of retail funds.
Letter from Luxembourg
Sheenagh Gordon-Hart, Independent Director at The Director’s Office
The first quarter of 2024 has passed very quickly and, while the geo-political problems we face seem to be growing by the day, there is an air of optimism that one hopes is not ill-founded.
Profile interview: Michaela Jackson – March 2024
Michaela Jackson speaks to FBC’s Simon Hynes about her experience as Head of Distribution at Columbia Threadneedle, from the integration of BMO GAM to creating a platform for sales and relationship management, the importance of a commercial role in a big organisation and, of course, governance. Watch the full interview https://vimeo.com/918050319/c6a95183c0?share=copy
A view from the Liffey
The new working year has well progressed and many of the issues and topics that were so relevant in 2023 are still with us, in some situations still requiring further clarification with others now implemented fully or still under review as regards the practical side of application.
Viewpoint – Philip Warland – Has ESG come of age?
The trajectory of ESG has been chaotic particularly in fund management. Largely driven by political pressure it was taken ahead quite quickly before anyone could quite define what it was.