As 2020 drew to a close, the heads of marketing and sales of several leading asset management firms got together over Zoom to discuss the dramatic changes underway in the relationship between their two functions – and what a virtual and digital future might look like.

tml Partners and BlackMoss, a marketing consultancy focused on client engagement strategy, co-hosted the round table, bringing together leading practitioners around a topic that is top of mind for both sales and marketing professionals as we emerge from the pandemic crisis.

View the event report here.

Download a PDF of the event report here.

Attendees included:

• Nic Basson, Invesco EMEA, Marketing Planning & Strategy Lead
• Colin Bennett, GAM Investments, Head of Digital Distribution
• David Bower, FE fundinfo, Head of Global Institutional Sales
• Pauline Bush, Mirabaud Asset Management, Head of Marketing
• David Creed, Tikehau Capital, Head of Investment Communications
• Martin McGovern, CMO Consultant
• Cristina Mendilicchio, Janus Henderson, Head of Wholesale Marketing EMEA & Latin America
• Simon Mott, TrackInsight, Chief Marketing Officer
• Paul Unsworth, Invesco EMEA, Head of UK & Middle East Marketing
• Larry Black, Co-Host, BlackMoss Partners
• Craig Welch, Co-Host, BlackMoss Partners
• Emma Morrison, Co-Host, tml Partners, Associate Director
• Charlie Green, tml Partners, Partner

Larry Black of BlackMoss kicked off the discussion detailing the impact of the suspension of in-person selling since the spring – and in particular how the shift to virtual and digital engagement has altered the traditional role of Sales within B2B asset management firms. The conversation then focused on five main themes:

• The crisis is changing the way asset management firms sell
• The suspension of in-person selling accelerated trends already in motion before the crisis
• Coming out of the crisis, the trend toward data-driven virtual selling appears only likely to accelerate
• 2020 made the clear case for a new “Client Engagement” function combining Sales and Marketing
• Some forward-looking firms are already adopting components of this new model

View the event report here.