The Brief
A mid-sized UK based investment manager was looking to recruit an investment team to complement their range of strategies. The attractiveness of the investment proposition and performance of the fund were evident, but the due diligence extended to a deeper understanding of the investment philosophy of team members, how they worked together, and what values and motivations were present. Bringing the team in was a significant financial commitment, and the leadership of the acquiring firm wanted to inform their decision and gain insight in how best to manage and integrate the team on arrival. Effectively, Goldcrest Partners were tasked with profiling an investment team for acquisition.
The Engagement
The engagement began with a meeting with the members of the investment team to outline the process and its purpose. This was followed by the individual completion of 4 high-quality third-party diagnostics to shed light on personality, emotional intelligence and personal risk profile of the team members, and the Goldcrest Partners’ proprietary high performing team questionnaire to understand how they worked as a team. This was followed by one-to-one interviews for each team member with a Goldcrest Partners’ psychometrician who specialises in working with investors. The individual and collective profiles were shared with the CEO and CIO of the hiring firm in both written reports and a feedback meeting.
The Outcome
The acquisition went ahead, and the senior leadership found the report to be so valuable that they commissioned a retrospective roll-out across other investment desks. The incoming team followed on with individual feedback sessions about their profiles, some individual coaching to improve personal performance, and a high performing team workshop to enhance their collective effectiveness.
