What Specific Expertise Does Intellego Offer?
Intellego is a leading provider of investment consulting and corporate advisory services in Sub-Saharan Africa and its staff possesses extensive research and advisory capabilities. Our team of Consultants and Advisors come with CFA, CIPM, FRM, Actuarial, Masters or other relevant qualifications that ensure that we deliver outcomes of the highest global standard to our clients.
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Intellego assists Institutional Investors such as Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Foundations, Endowments and Africa-Focused Investment Funds with their expertise in structuring investments, monitoring investment performance, investment manager selection, portfolio modeling and asset allocation services.
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Intellego also offers its corporate and business clients with its advisory expertise in the areas of Capital Raising (Debt/Equity Issues, IPOs, Rights Issues, Private Placements), Transaction Advisory (M&A, Disposals, Buy-outs, Privatisations, Joint Ventures and Project Finance), Strategic Advisory (Corporate Strategy, Restructurings, Valuations, Business Development Analysis) and Employee Benefits Advisory
(Share-based Remuneration Structures, Incentive-based Remuneration Structures)
What is Investment Consulting and how different is it from Investment Management ?
Investment management involves taking actual investment decisions and actions on behalf of clients whilst investment consulting is broader and includes, among other things, formulating policies, broad investment strategies and strategic asset allocation. Investment consultants work closely with the client and even advise them on the selection and monitoring of the investment managers but DO NOT buy or sell investment assets on behalf of the clients. Investment Consultants take time to understand the liability structure and unique requirements of the client before communicating these to the Investment Managers to ensure that the implementation of the investment program specifically addresses the liabilities and unique requirements of the Fund. Different Investment Managers are guided by their own investment philosophies and styles whilst the Investment Consultant is guided by client requirements.
How Do You Differ From Actuaries And Pension Consultants?
Actuaries mainly focus on valuing liabilities of the pension funds and insurance companies whilst Investment Consultants mainly focus on how the assets of the pension fund or insurance company can be invested to ensure the liabilities are met. Pension Consultants focus mainly on the set up and administration of the pension funds whilst Investment Consultants are primarily concerned with the investments aspects. It is, however, important to note that at times there are overlaps with both Actuaries and Pension Consultants providing some of the services that are normally provided by Investment Consultants, though the latter are more specialised.
Why Then Would One Need An Investment Consultant If They Already Have Asset Managers, Actuaries And Pension Administrators?
Investment Consultants specialise on aspects related to the investment decision-making of the Fund and help Trustees and/or those tasked with running the Fund focus on areas that enhance the performance and growth of the Fund. These critical aspects may easily be neglected as the other parties focus on their primary areas of responsibility and expertise.
How Much Does It Cost To Engage Investment Consultants And What Is The Incremental Benefit?
Investment Consultants can either be engaged for a specific assignment, for instance drafting policy documents or on a retainer basis to provide a full suite of services. For the former, the fee is usually based on the time to be dedicated to the exercise whilst the latter can either be a percentage of funds under management or an agreed retainer amount based on estimated time to be spent servicing the client. It is important to note that the fees for Investment Consultants are significantly less than those for Investment Managers or other service providers.
What Risk Is Our Fund Assuming By Engaging Investment Consultants And What Mitigation Measures Do You Have In Place?
Investment Consultants do not handle client funds, neither do they buy or sell investment assets on behalf of clients. As such, the risk is limited to the quality of advice they give clients, which advice the client may choose to adopt or not. Furthermore, like most advisers, Investment Consultants hold Professional Indemnity Insurance to compensate clients in the event of loss arising from wrong advice given negligently.
How Does One Select The Best Investment Consultant Among Competing Players?
Consultancy by nature is a skills-based offering and as such, the first aspect to look at would be the expertise of the consultants involved as regards the solution required. This can be evaluated from the relevant qualifications and experience of the consultants involved. Intellego boasts of Consultants that hold the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charter , that are pursuing actuarial studies, and have vast experience in investment management, investment research, actuarial valuations, treasury and risk management. Other aspects to look at would then include the approach to handling client assignments, customer service experience as well as fee structure.
Is There Any Tangible Benefit To Be Derived From Investment Consulting In Zimbabwe Given The Limited Universe Of Investable Assets?
Intellego is a pioneer of international standard investment advisory services in Zimbabwe and this puts us ahead of the curve when it comes to devising investment strategies that would be applicable anywhere else in the world. Even with a limited universe of investable assets, our studies show that there are marked differences in performance among asset managers in Zimbabwe. This tells us that investment styles and competencies of asset managers are different and many institutional investors lack the capacity and/or expertise to not only choose the appropriate asset mix but also the right investment manager. Furthermore, Intellego also seeks to work with corporate advisors in introducing new products onto the Zimbabwean market to widen the universe and choices for institutional investors. As Zimbabwe fast integrates into the global village, the universe of investment assets is likely to widen, with greater sophistication hence the need for expertise for better understanding and insight.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How Can I Get More Information About Intellego Investment Consultants?
Please feel free to contact us on Harare telephone numbers; +263 4 783069; +263 4 783070; +263 4 783071; +263 772 020 279. You can also email info@intellego-ic.com and request our corporate profile. We are also available to come and present to your team, and discuss how we can provide solutions to your requirements.