GrowTH STRATEGY CONSULTING FOR ASSET MANAGERS

Chestnut guides asset managers through the rapidly-changing industry landscape. Our solutions help our clients get where they want to go.

OUR Services

Product Strategy

We provide thoughtful reviews of product lines, rationalization, development, and prioritization

Distribution Strategy

We recommend team and organization structure, market analysis, planning by region or segment, and custom sales roadmaps

M&A Strategy

We help identify best-fit acquisition targets, analyze disposition candidates, and offer post-acquisition integration planning

Brand Strategy

We define your firm’s value proposition, identify target investors and their needs, and create valuable messaging and marketing plans

Implementation Support

We know a thoughtful strategic plan is only the first step. We partner with you to ensure successful implementation of your new strategy. Our ongoing strategic advisory includes sales coaching, firm and product messaging, thought leadership, and long-term marketing plans

OUR FIRM

Chestnut is a boutique growth strategy consultant dedicated to asset managers and OCIOs. We are a women-owned, practitioner-led firm and our advisors are a team of deeply experienced industry professionals.

The Golden Circle of Asset Management

Chestnut aims to put our clients in what we call the “Golden Circle” of asset management, by answering three critical questions:

What do your investors want? Understanding your target investors’ key needs, ensuring your products address those needs and your messaging articulates your ability to meet those needs creates the foundation for a strong, long-lasting relationship with your clients. Investors’ needs are constantly evolving. Custom market research is a hugely valuable tool to ensure your growth strategy is on target.

How can your firm deliver? This is where strategy - Product, Brand, M&A, Marketing - and the ongoing successful implementation of those strategies - come in.

Why you? Articulating how a relationship with your firm will benefit your clients, as well as the distinct role each of your products will play in investors’ portfolios will get your firm into the bullseye of the Golden Circle. A strong ‘why you’ that is embedded across a manager’s growth strategies - Product, Distribution, Brand and M&A - will develop the trust that is necessary to raise, retain, and - over time - continue to raise and retain more capital from your target investors.
Outer Ring – What

Most manager messaging focuses on the ‘What’ story: what asset classes you manage, what your historic investment results have been, etc. There are several problems with this approach.

First, the widespread use of manager databases has made detailed descriptions largely unnecessary, and widely ignored.

Second, even the best ‘What’ story alone will not motivate an investor to hire an asset manager.

Finally, it is extremely difficult to craft a ‘What’ story that is focused on a manager’s target investors. A ‘What’ story by itself largely treats all investors as the same - the antithesis of the targeted approach to the highly fragmented investor marketplace that Chestnut recommends.
Middle Ring – How

No manager will be hired without a deep explanation of their ‘How.’ Investors today want to understand much more than just the inner workings of a manager’s investment process, however.

Winning asset managers clearly explain how their target investors will benefit from having a relationship with that manager. Most investors - both institutional and retail - are seeking to reduce the number of manager relationships they have. Investors expect much more than just a risk/return stream on their capital from their manager relationships today.

Winning asset managers also ensure they can deliver on their ‘How.’ Again, an auditable, repeatable investment process is just the start of a winning ‘How.’

Chestnut helps asset managers identify, articulate and implement a unique ‘how’ that is authentic to their firm and culture and will resonate with their client inventors.
Golden Circle – Why

The key to attracting and retaining investor capital is to clearly address the ‘Why’ - i.e. why that investor will benefit from building a relationship with that manager.

Chestnut’s research among inventors and investment consultants has shown time and time again that historic investment performance is NOT the primary reason driving the asset manager or OCIO hiring decision. There are a wide range of ‘whys’ that work for different investors, such as risk management advice or technology that can be used for portfolio analysis beyond the managers’ products, access to and a relationship with a firm that delivers outstanding and relevant investment insights, working with a firm that is a champion for their asset class, access to direct investing opportunities going forward, governance advisory (a leading ‘Why’ for investors hiring OCIOs), and many more.

Winning asset managers each have their own unique set of ‘Whys’ that are authentic to the firm’s product mix, culture and philosophy, and that resonate with the firm’s target investors. In addition, these winning asset managers ensure they can actually deliver on these ‘Whys’.

Chestnut helps our clients identify their winning ‘Whys’ and then implement this ‘why’ across the firm’s growth strategies.

Our Approach

Outer Ring – What

Middle Ring – How

Golden Circle – Why

OUR INSIGHTS

Article

Trust for the WinBack to Basics: Trust for the Win Our research confirms trust is the single most important factor driving the decision to hire and retain asset managers and OCIOs. We highlight concrete steps managers can take to actively cultivate trust with...

Webinar

OCIOs like Callan are on the 'front lines' today, helping investors determine how best to address DEI and ESG factors in their investment policies. Kevin A. Joy joins us to describe Callan's approach to advising their clients on these important issues. Please fill out...

Webinar

P&I hosts DEI experts from Chestnut, The CFA Institute, and Verus to discuss how investor segments prioritize DEI, obstacles to improving diversity, and the current state of new investment industry DEI codes and standards. Please fill out the form below to hear...

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OUR INSIGHTS

Article

Trust for the WinBack to Basics: Trust for the Win Our research confirms trust is the single most important factor driving the decision to hire and retain asset managers and OCIOs. We highlight concrete steps managers can take to actively cultivate trust with...

Webinar

OCIOs like Callan are on the 'front lines' today, helping investors determine how best to address DEI and ESG factors in their investment policies. Kevin A. Joy joins us to describe Callan's approach to advising their clients on these important issues. Please fill out...

Webinar

P&I hosts DEI experts from Chestnut, The CFA Institute, and Verus to discuss how investor segments prioritize DEI, obstacles to improving diversity, and the current state of new investment industry DEI codes and standards. Please fill out the form below to hear...

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GrowTH STRATEGY CONSULTING FOR ASSET MANAGERS

Chestnut guides asset managers through the rapidly-changing industry landscape. Our solutions help our clients get where they want to go.

OUR Services

Product Strategy

Distribution Strategy

M&A Strategy

Brand Strategy

Implementation Support

OUR FIRM

The Golden Circle of Asset Management

Outer Ring – What

Middle Ring – How

Golden Circle – Why

Our Approach

OUR INSIGHTS

Article

Webinar

Webinar

OUR INSIGHTS

Article

Webinar

Webinar

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Back to Basics: A Guidepost for Asset Managers in Turbulent Times