Position Description
GMO’s Asia-Pacific client relations team is comprised of seven members. Our team is located in Sydney and Singapore, and the group is responsible for maintaining and advancing GMO’s competitive edge in the areas of marketing, sales and client service to provide the best service possible consistent with achieving our investment goals.
We are looking to add a Head of Institutional, Asia ex-Japan (AEJ) to help accelerate our Business Development efforts across the region, including but not limited to Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record of sustained revenue growth in the AEJ Institutional market, including both strategy and execution.
An extensive and deep network of institutional allocators is essential, including the ability to influence decision-makers ahead of searches being initiated. A proven system of engagement rigour / sales discipline that has consistently translated into new business success in products spanning equities, fixed income and alternatives is also essential.
This individual will be based in Singapore and report to GMO’s Head of Client Relations, Asia-Pacific.
Candidate Requirements:
- A sales-led mentality, backed up with strong technical and relationship skills.
- Demonstrated success in building multi-layered relationships and revenue growth with GIC, MAS, HKMA and other large sovereigns in the region.
- Strong working knowledge of the Insurance General Account market.
- Experience with the Endowment, Foundation and Single-Family office channels is desirable.
- Experience in Mainland China is also useful, together with master agent/direct experience in the Taiwan Institutional Market
- Mandarin Fluency – speaking, reading and writing desirable
- Holding or attaining the requisite licenses
Current Skills/Background:
- Minimum 8+years of direct responsibility for their own sales territory and demonstrated sales results.
- While experienced, retains willingness to personally service accounts (including reporting, ad hoc queries, regular servicing meetings). Understanding these critical elements is essential to understanding our firm and better understanding our client base.
- Driven, wants accountability and understands that success will be rewarded; and is eager to engage with leadership at GMO to achieve results in their target market.
- Proven client facing track record with the ability to confidently communicate and be an advocate for GMO’s broad investment strategies across a wide range of sophisticated clients.
- Demonstrated leadership, serves as experienced voice within the team and firm – sharing ideas on the direction of the market, related product opportunities, and strategic opportunities as relates to Asia ex-Japan markets.
- Strong investment acumen, intellectual curiosity and the ability to quickly understand and clearly discuss GMO’s investment techniques, strategies and concepts.
- Outstanding communication (written and oral), presentation and interpersonal skills. The ability to convey and adapt complex messages powerfully and in a clear manner so clients of all types and levels of sophistication will understand.
Key Accountabilities:
- Own designated prospect / client universe, and: identify, create and progress new business opportunities within that assigned prospect universe. The aim will be to meet sales and revenue targets which will contribute to their bonus determination
- Demonstrating a collaborative, respectful and confident approach to working with APAC team colleagues.
- When relevant, as a mentor/”back up” sales and relationship manager on some of the smaller relationships in Asia.
- Inclusive of all the above, develop and implement own strategic business development plan for designated market segment and contribute broadly to all sales and servicing plans within Asia consistent with the goals, capabilities and culture of the firm.
- Forge strong internal working relationships, partnering closely with other members of the global relationship, investment, and support teams, across a range of functions.
- Quickly develop a strong voice that contributes to the strategic business development plan for Asia and the broader Global Client Relations Team.
- Maintain a comprehensive understanding of your assigned market segment and how it is evolving – communicating this clearly both horizontally and vertically with a focus on potential risks and business opportunities inclusive of product development.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of sales experience in institutional markets
- Strong knowledge of insurance general account market
- Experience with sovereign allocators like GIC, MAS, HKMA
- Fluency in Mandarin (speaking, reading, writing)
- Experience in Mainland China and Taiwan Institutional Market
What We Do
For more than 40 years, GMO has partnered with a broad range of sophisticated institutions, financial intermediaries, and families to provide the investment expertise they need to meet their goals and fulfill their missions. Investing on behalf of our clients is GMO’s sole focus. Across asset classes and around the world, our investment teams identify and exploit long-term opportunities and develop solutions that both anticipate and respond to client needs. GMO is comprised of a collection of investment teams with focused specialties. All are grounded in a long-term, valuation-based investment philosophy – an approach we believe provides the best risk-adjusted returns. GMO partners with an impressive roster of sophisticated clients worldwide, delivering innovative investment solutions and tailored client service. Our clients benefit from our diverse expertise, intellectual curiosity, and open culture of debate, as well as from our ability and willingness to take advantage of contrarian market opportunities. For important disclosure information please visit: https://www.gmo.com/americas/terms-and-conditions/
