Head Of Investment Division/Assistant Secretary
London, United Kingdom
Overall responsibility for general management and business development of the Investment Division, which provided asset management and financial advisory services to governments and official institutions in developing countries, especially in the Middle East, South East Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and South America. The largest accounts were for Brunei, Abu Dhabi, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Gibraltar.Given the narrowly defined potential client base, the strategic objectives were to tighten up professional standards and introduce a more competitive culture in order to preserve existing relationships, while broadening the range of services offered to include financial advisory as well as asset management functions. This involved:• Introduction of a technically advanced computer based investment accounting and performance assessment system for the management of large scale, complex, multi-currency portfolios.• Recruitment of professional staff from non-traditional sources and use of leading City-based expertise on a consultancy basis.• Publication of the Crown Agents Financial Review, a review of international financial markets designed for the Crown Agents target client base.• Playing a leading role in the establishment and management of a multi-manager investment team for the Brunei General Reserve Fund, involving Morgan Grenfell, James Capel and HSBC, as well as the Crown Agents, and reporting personally to the Government of Brunei on behalf of all these institutions. • Initiating the provision of advisory services on a broader range of financial issues, including debt management and the development of domestic financial markets.
