Advanced Due Diligence and
Manager Selection
An in-depth course on investigating, analyzing, selecting, and monitoring asset management organizations.
The Missing Link
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Considering what's known and uncovering what's not
The course takes a deep dive into the evaluation of investment management organizations, including sections on culture, beliefs/philosophy, human capital, incentives, organizational structure, investment process, capacity, portfolio construction, performance, fees, and many other topics. See the list below. An exploration unlike any you've done before.
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Indentifying preferences and weighing pros and cons
There are tens of thousands of vehicles, strategies, and managers. Picking from them starts with building a framework that fits your organization and its resources, takes advantage of a differential approach to due diligence, and is realistic about the choices that are available. We walk through the pieces of the puzzle, identifying best and "next" practices.
For You or For Your Team
If you are interested in taking the course on your own, sign up now, it's ready to go.
Would you like a more personalized experience? Select the Course Plus Coaching option.
For a group or team, there are some other options you should consider:
Discounted group prices, with each person working at their own pace.
A customized, coordinated set of materials with some online group sessions.
In-depth workshop experiences focused on specific course topics that are of particular interest.
A consulting project that combines an examination of your organization with training.
See a summary of due diligence resources available from The Investment Ecosystem.
Email us for more information, or schedule a phone call or Zoom session.
Would you like a more personalized experience? Select the Course Plus Coaching option.
For a group or team, there are some other options you should consider:
Discounted group prices, with each person working at their own pace.
A customized, coordinated set of materials with some online group sessions.
In-depth workshop experiences focused on specific course topics that are of particular interest.
A consulting project that combines an examination of your organization with training.
See a summary of due diligence resources available from The Investment Ecosystem.
Email us for more information, or schedule a phone call or Zoom session.
A short course, "Analyzing Investment Process," featuring the process module of this course, is also available. Its cost is credited if you then want to take the whole course. More information here.
The Structure of the Course
The list of modules in the course appears below. The modules are released on a weekly basis
over a period of fifteen weeks.
over a period of fifteen weeks.
The modules of the course (see the list below) consist of three kinds of activities.
Presentations cover the main considerations for the topic area. Most are 10-30 minutes.
Ebooks expand upon those ideas and add other ones. They are packed full of links to further material.
Exercises are questions designed to help you examine and expand your approach to each area.
While it is the quality of the content that matters most, the quantity of it allows you to immerse yourself in the ideas important to you. There are almost twelve hours of presentations, more than a hundred thousand words in the ebooks, and hundreds of links to primary sources and additional readings.
The sessions are self-study; Tom Brakke is available to answer questions and provide assistance.
For a guided and personalized exploration of the material, sign up for the Course Plus Coaching option.
Presentations cover the main considerations for the topic area. Most are 10-30 minutes.
Ebooks expand upon those ideas and add other ones. They are packed full of links to further material.
Exercises are questions designed to help you examine and expand your approach to each area.
While it is the quality of the content that matters most, the quantity of it allows you to immerse yourself in the ideas important to you. There are almost twelve hours of presentations, more than a hundred thousand words in the ebooks, and hundreds of links to primary sources and additional readings.
The sessions are self-study; Tom Brakke is available to answer questions and provide assistance.
For a guided and personalized exploration of the material, sign up for the Course Plus Coaching option.
Modules
Introduction
Concepts
Forecasting
The Ecosystem
Categorization
Beliefs
Narratives
Culture
Manager Characteristics
Leadership
Behavior
Human Capital
Structure
Teams
Decision Making
Process
Complexity and Transparency
Incentives
Fees
Assets
Portfolio Analysis
Performance
Topics and Cases
Diligence and Selection
Decision Environment
Intelligence Analysis
Sources of Ideas
Information Gathering
Interviewing
Meetings
Operational Due Diligence
Third-party Research
Cases
Reports
Manager Selection
Ongoing Research
Judging Quality
"I've never thought about it that way before."
This reaction from a workshop attendee is representative of comments that have been received.
The goal of this course is to challenge participants by examining new avenues for discovery.
The goal of this course is to challenge participants by examining new avenues for discovery.
Give yourself a better chance of navigating the maze
Meet the instructor
Tom Brakke, CFA
Tom has held investment and leadership positions at a major investment firm, and evaluated and/or provided consulting and advisory services to asset managers, institutional asset owners, advisory firms, consultants, and research firms.
As an instructor, he has trained candidates for the CFA exam and MBA students at a large university, as well as leading public and in-house workshops for investment professionals. Tom writes extensively about the investment world and has spoken at many industry meetings and conferences.
As an instructor, he has trained candidates for the CFA exam and MBA students at a large university, as well as leading public and in-house workshops for investment professionals. Tom writes extensively about the investment world and has spoken at many industry meetings and conferences.