What does your position as a senior investment consultant involve?

My position involves advising several of South Africa’s largest institutions on how to meet their investment goals.  For example, for pension funds I advise how to best structure their investments so as to provide for their members’ retirement income needs. This entails assisting them with their investment strategy and the setting of their strategic asset allocation (which is the mix of different types of assets such as shares, bonds, property and cash), researching the right asset managers to manage their funds, and ensuring that the implementation thereof is well risk managed and continuously monitored.

You are also a public speaker – what are the vital ingredients of a good speech?

The most important thing for me is to understand my audience and what it is that they need to take away from my presentation.  In preparing I need to tailor the content and the manner in which the message is conveyed to ensure that the audience gets the most out of it and can make informed decisions based on the information provided. Being able to engage an audience, rather than just talking “at” them is imperative.

How do you prepare yourself for a public speech?

I would be nervous if I felt out of my depth and so ensuring that I have a thorough understanding of the issues I am discussing is crucial for me to feel prepared.  Also the enthusiasm/passion I feel for the subject usually keeps me on my toes and thereafter I guess it’s the old adage – practice, practice, practice – it certainly doesn’t hurt.

What would surprise people most about your job?

I think people assume that as an investment consultant we provide advice and then walk away, but to the contrary we are intricately involved with the decisions and so there is always something going on that affects a decision made or one that needs to be made. So I guess you never truly switch off from work entirely.

What would you change about your job, if you could? Why?

There are still far too many instances of members cashing in their savings when they change jobs, and thereby missing out on those years of savings and limiting the power of compounding to work its magic and help them accumulate sufficient capital to retire comfortably. My team and I continue to strive to find better ways to get the message across and would love to see changes in the actions members take.

What did you want to be when you were a child? Why?

With my love for animals, being a vet was my most enduring aspiration. I wanted to make a difference to the lives of the animals that couldn’t voice their own needs, and so I find that investment consulting, while very different, fulfils that need for me to make a difference by using my aptitude for numbers.

What qualifications do you have and how do they help you do your job?

I have a BBusSc in Quantitative Management and an MSc in Mathematics of Finance, both from the University of Cape Town.  The investment world is incredibly complex and I find that the analytical and mathematical skills my education afforded me are imperative to my job. They allow me to understand the complex analytics, discuss and debate the issues, and in so doing allow me to communicate those complex issues in a simpler, more relevant manner to my clients.

What are the tools of your trade – the things you cannot do your job without?

I guess the “tools” are really more intangible …

• ability to adapt and change views/ ideas as things evolve, but also to remain resolute when the situation calls for it 
• an interest and passion to make a difference for our clients
• patience to deal with the variety of issues thrown your way on a daily basis

What qualities do you need to do your job?

In addition to analytical skills, you need the ability to think broadly, evaluate the issue from different perspectives and be questioning so that you don’t just follow the same tried and tested formulae. You also need to be authentic and good with people, within the team and with clients, to ensure that relationships are built on trust and that outcomes are always in members’ best interests.

What is the best career advice you have ever received and who gave it to you?

“Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, with dedication and to the best of your ability” …advice from my uncle that has an impact on how I approach everything thrown at me. It has been invaluable to me but I think it is universally applicable.

More information?

For more information, please contact Prasheen via email or on +27 (0) 21 673 6999. This article appeared on BDLive and Junction.

Media contacts

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