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When approached by an executive headhunter, Vicki Cheng jumped at the opportunity to work closely with one of the wealthiest families in Southeast Asia. The two brothers had made a fortune in the burgeoning telecom business, but they were managing their assets on a piecemeal basis. They set-up a family office to solve the problem, turning over responsibilities to finance-sector professionals. In this setting, Vicki felt she could make a meaningful impact on restructuring the ever-growing investment portfolio, while satisfying her desire to pursue a more entrepreneurial career.
From Many Clients to Single Priority
Vicki was hired to oversee holdings of alternative investment funds, including hedge funds and real-asset funds. In her previous work at a prominent private bank, she spent years chasing new account relationships and explaining good—and bad—investments to successful businessmen, not financial practitioners. That in-the-trenches heritage meant that she outpaced other short-listed candidates for the position. The family valued her sixth sense.
The family office is the backbone of global commerce.
Chad Hagan, The Global Family Office
The position, however, required a cultural adjustment. Vicki had to approach investments as if she were allocating her own money. In her previous work, she might have worked—with various degrees of focus—on twenty-to-forty client accounts a day. She is now drawn to those opportunities where she has a direct, personal tie to the senior fund manager. Aside from obvious performance expectations, she is keen to work with organizations who provide research and insight on an asset class, in part because it helps her to validate her activities with the family-office investment committee.
Ties to Cranganore
We have known Vicki for the better part of a decade. We first met her at an investment conference, but we had little opportunity to work together because her private bank only placed funds promoted by the largest international companies. Still, she valued the insight offered by our periodic market commentaries and the rapport of a friendly visit from time-to-time. When she took her new position, she hired us for a proprietary evaluation of family holdings, helping her to rebalance the overall fund component. In our ongoing discussions, we prioritize introducing her to new-to-market asset managers. Our logic: the family is often responsive to entrepreneurs looking to jump-start fresh investment approaches.
Consulting Services
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