Tjeerd Voskamp from Hambro Capital Management is our Sales Manager of the Month

Tjeerd (TJ) Voskamp is Head of Sales and Distribution – UK, Europe and Asia at JO Hambro Capital Management, with responsibility for Sales, Marketing and Client Services. Previously he served as Head of Client Solutions – UK, Europe, Asia and Latin America at Aviva Investors, where he was responsible for setting commercial strategy in those regions as well as managing a number of global client channels. Prior to joining Aviva Investors in 2016, Tjeerd was Head of Global Financial Institutions Group at Schroders, where he led a global sales team responsible for global retail and private banks, insurers and other leading financial institutions. He has also held senior sales roles at Colombia Threadneedle. Tjeerd has a BSc in Management Science and Masters in Business Studies, both from University of Kent, Canterbury, and is a fluent German, Dutch and English speaker.

What investment sectors or markets do you believe are more interesting for clients at the moment? And what sectors or markets are losing investor’s interest?

Clearly, ESG and sustainable investing has the attention of all investors, whether integrating aspects of ESG into core parts of their portfolio, or making explicit allocations to thematic or impact investments. The area is evolving still, along with clients’ needs – both in terms of investment incorporation or reporting/demonstrating the impact and adherence to a criteria.
We are also witnessing some appetite shifts from growth to value investing, albeit volatility this year makes timing a switch challenging. The downside risk on equity allocations still seems heightened, and we expect investors to seek active managers to provide that protection, with strong alpha generation.

Which assets do you think will perform best during 2022 considering the current volatility in the market?

Notwithstanding World War 3 then it’s all about UK Equities. Unloved for years, compelling valuations …the release we put together for the reopening of Dynamic and Income has some good sound bites to convey the opportunity as we (and the fund managers) see it….

Water & Waste - a good diversifier in the midst of volatility given the preponderance of funds exposed to Tech, Growth / Momentum.

In your opinion, what are the key drivers for successful fund distribution?

Firstly, collaboration across all elements of distribution – Sales, Marketing, Service, Client Experience and Product.  As a smaller firm, we are mindful that the sum of our parts needs to be up there with the largest players in our industry, and we will have a greater impact by working collaboratively on our key priority markets, products and clients.  

As well as our ‘distribution capacity’ being limited, our clients & prospects also have finite capacity to engage with the sell-side of fund management. As such, recognising Client Experience aspects across the client journey will enable us to provide pertinent engagement – relevant, valuable, and timely – in a format that suits the individual (digital, face-to-face and hybrid). Data is increasingly available and an important part of understanding our markets and clients, and the shifts in their appetite and needs.

Finally, but critically, recognising that we are working for our clients; Providing them with a solution to investment (and increasingly, non-financial) needs. This is a relationship business, not a transactional one. We seek investors who can align with our fund managers’ investment time horizons, which is typically greater than 5 years, and so we seek to build long-term, multi-layered relationships with our clients.