JPES Partners recently hosted a Masterclass Seminar on the role of Culture in Asset Management, exploring how firms can better understand, define, and demonstrate, their own corporate culture to external audiences such as clients, consultants, and prospects.

There are several ways firms can begin to define, measure and track their own culture, using existing frameworks such as ACT by City Hive and the Thinking Ahead Institute’s culture assessment. Articulating that to external audiences in a way that truly resonates, however, can be a difficult exercise.

Our 2024 JPES Partners Asset Owner Study found that 97% of those who were surveyed believed that the ability of an asset manager to demonstrate a positive corporate culture was a key part of their selection criteria, yet almost the same proportion felt that asset managers were falling short in being able to do so.

It was clear from the research that choosing which asset manager to work with goes beyond an understanding of how portfolios are constructed and their investment track record. Clients increasingly want to also understand how this is achieved and how the culture of the business contributes to building a sustainable business.

Following the Masterclass, we have collated a report of some of the key discussion points that arose, highlighting learnings and considerations for asset managers when reflecting on their own culture. Some of the key takeaways include:

• Senior leadership must buy into the importance of culture and be active participants.
• An authentic culture must be brought to life with tangible examples.
• Culture is rarely addressed in a beauty parade process; but it can be a true differentiator.

To download a copy of our paper, The Importance of Culture in Asset Management, please click here