Finance Monthly Global Awards 2019 Edition

Finance Monthly Global Awards 2019 www.finance-monthly.com 30 UNITED KINGDOM ASSET MANAGEMENT ADVISORY FIRM OF THE YEAR Chris Poole is the Founder and Managing Director of Cobens. He joined the industry in 1987 and, after a very short period soon realized that there was need for radical changes within the way that we looked after clients and their money. Cobens was then born. Whilst they remained fully independent, they first majored in the corporate sector which was soon followed by creating a specialist team to look after client wealth which we all now know as Wealth Management. Here, Chris tells up more about Cobens. Tell us more about the services that Cobens offers? Cobens Wealth management operate 3 specific types portfolios • Active • Passive • Income Each have 5 risk rated portfolios • Cautious • Moderately cautious • Balanced • Moderately adventurous • Aggressive In addition, we have both an Ethical portfolio and a Shariah compliant option. Some of our portfolios have been around now for more than 15 years and as with all of our portfolios, our clients have enjoyed consistently above benchmark performance throughout. Our investment philosophy is built upon some very simple cornerstones, for example, • Looking after the downside risk rather than chasing the upside • Looking for sustainable performance rather than boom and bust • Protecting asset allocation as an ongoing principle whilst maintaining flexibility • Regular and constant reviews and testing • Not being frightened to look at where others see the markets • We do not add trading costs • One size does NOT fit all Our investment committee meet quarterly (or more frequent if required) and their focus is long term gains with both strategic and tactical changes reviewed on each occasion. This should (and has) filtered through to longer term performance which consistently outperforms benchmark. These services are offered to all our clients, whether they are members of a group scheme or individual wealth management clients and, of course a very important factor in looking after our clients is the ability to tailor such portfolios specific to their individual needs. What would you say are the company’s top three priorities towards its clients? How has this evolved over the years? a) To understand exactly what the client’s objectives are and where possible, create financial cashflows that we can work within to achieve said financial goals b) Meeting BOTH their attitude to risk as well as their capacity for loss andmaking sure that the client understandswhat thismeans to them c) Building in flexibility to allow the clients to change their focus and objectives over time which is often the key to success in looking after family and corporate wealth over a long period of time and understanding that, at the end of the day, it is their money. Q Q