Asset Management Exit Opportunities

Funds need people who are technically proficient, and demonstrate a strong “fit” and passion for investing. You could be a part of their small, high performance teams who can hit the ground running and add value from day one. However, strong product knowledge with a strong network, is what you will need to be able to branch out 

Your most likely exit opportunities are other funds that use similar strategies, and breaking into PE/ VC without prior deal experience won’t be easy. You could work for 2-3 years as an analyst for an MUTF, and then pursue a Master’s degree, get a CFA, and move to a larger fund or a hedge fund. Here are some other avenues worth considering, depending on your years of experience: 

✅ Entrepreneurship: In recent years, several private bankers and asset managers have left to start their own hedge funds or AM firms. Once they establish a client base, they can apply for the SFC’s Type 9 license for asset management, helping clients to invest and earn heftier profits, instead of working with banks or fund houses to earn a salary.

✅ Private Bank: Lots of private bankers are taking up sales roles in financial markets, for instance, working in Asset Management, family office, or COO, or even private investment advisors for high net-worth or uber rich individuals. 

Focus on developing your network, as private bankers regularly interact with wealthy business owners of listed companies or those running family offices. They can involve private bankers that they like into different roles to manage their assets, including even offering a CFO’s position, depending on the trust that you’ve nurtured with your clients about your talent and expertise. 

✅ Asset Management/ Fund Houses: Professionals from Like Fidelity or Aeon, they either deal in retail funds that can be sold to retail clients. They can also deal in corporate funds, those that may be more high-risk, and thus can be sold to professional investors, and institutional clients. Since most of your clients are corporations or institutions, Asset managers will not get access to the kind of network that’s available to private bankers. But if you have worked in a fund-house like BlackRock or Fidelity, you can exit to banks like JPMorgan or Credit Suisse that have their asset management divisions. Your other exit options can be moving to family offices or other buy side firms, working as an asset manager for a corporation like Sun Hung Kai, Swire, or Jardine. These corporations also have an asset management arm to help to invest the company’s assets. 

Besides, some professionals, once they’ve accumulated sufficient wealth, and devise a solid investment strategy, they quit to be their own boss. They invest their own money to set up a portfolio, since they already possess the market knowledge and astute investment sense to rake in bigger profits.

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