CEO Today Europe Awards

www.ceotodaymagazine.com 66 CEO Today Europe Awards 2018 the united kingdom ANDREW SCHLOSSBERG CEO of Invesco Perpetual How Invesco will remain relevant in a changing world What steps have you taken to ensure Invesco stays aligned with its goals? Invesco’s foremost objective always is to provide investment excellence and deliver investment performance for our clients. In 2017, 75% of our funds outperformed peers on a five-year basis. We always remember that it is our client’s money we are investing, and it’s that kind of consistency and longevity that I am proud of – and you don’t have that if you’re not adding excess return to clients. Secondly, we’ve built diversity into our business ensuring we have a strong mix of high-conviction investment capabilities to offer to clients, whether they are looking for active, passive or alternative portfolios. Last year we took steps to reinforce the depth and credibility of the passive part of our business in EMEA by acquiring Source’s exchange-traded-fund (ETF) business, which brings to us US$30 billion of ETF assets and complements our existing Powershares ETF offering, strengthening the competitiveness and relevance of our global business. Lastly, since we delivered good investment performance and have a broad set of capabilities, our clients are rewarding us with their confidence. In 2017 we were able to bring over US$12 billion of new net assets into the EMEA region; the equates to about 7% organic growth - something we’re very proud of. If you don’t have the investment returns and you don’t have the breadth of capabilities, the business results won’t come in. How is technology shaping the way Invesco works? Like other industries, the asset management industry is starting to implement changes in technology, embracing them and using them to help empower investors. A perfect example is the way that we use data analytics to better understand our clients’ needs and, with the uptake of robo advisors partnering with traditional advisors to serve clients, we are finding new ways to reach investors. On the investment side, technology has brought better tools to analyse big data and help our fundamental and quantitative fund managers find better stocks and bonds to buy for clients they are investing for. Why is maintaining a diverse and inclusive work culture so important? One of the hallmarks of Invesco is our diversity of thought; how we use it to build portfolios for our clients, inform our decision-making and how it influences our culture across the globe. A key area of focus for us is to continue to maintain and build diversity within our organisation, in terms of gender and other protected characteristics. This is something we remain strongly committed to in 2018 and beyond. On gender equality, we are both public about our expectations and very deliberate inside the business. Our goal is not only to continue to invest in the women that we already have here today by creating an environment in which they can develop through the ranks of the company, but to bring more women into the business. This is a challenge for the whole of our male-dominated industry and we have many initiatives underway to support a more diverse and inclusive workforce. How do you view regulation in the asset management industry? In recent history we’ve seen some significant revisions to the way in which we are regulated as an asset manager, with the positive intent to deliver greater client protection and a focus on the end consumer and end investor. Big pieces of regulation – such as the asset management market study in the UK or the implementation of MiFID II across Europe – really focus on making sure that the outcome for consumers is robust and that their needs are met through consistent transparency on outcomes, reliable transparency on fees, and by ensuring that there’s real value for money. I think these are important and necessary developments for our industry, and ones that I – and Invesco – fully embraces and supports. Investment risks The value of investments and any income will fluctuate (this may partly be the result of exchange rate fluctuations) and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.