Michael Green discusses why he believes that American Century Investments’ focus on growth equity investing will be an advantage as the firm expands into the European asset management arena, and explains why it should be seen as a boutique fund house, rather than a global player. Elisa Trovato reports

What are exchange traded funds?

Giuseppe Di Stani, managing director at Morgan Stanley, looks at the options available to European Equity investors looking for stock picking strategies in 2010

Improving levels of data availability mean that those looking to invest in the Asian growth story can now evaluate which companies are run in a sustainable manner, thus reducing risk, writes Elisa Trovato

European institutional investors share common concerns, although country-specific differences may drive investment strategies. Ceri Jones reveals the results of our investor survey

Alfonso Gómez Garcimartín, head of BBVA private banking, believes the development of long-term client relationships and use of open architecture makes the bank stand out against its Spanish rivals, writes Elisa Trovato

Two changes of ownership in 2009, plus the fallout from the financial crisis, means that Kleinwort Benson had an extremely unsettled year, but the management are optimistic going into the new decade, writes Yuri Bender

Environmental, social and governance (ESG), or sustainable investing, are words frequently used in the press, but what do they mean? Andrew Ness, investment director at SWIP, explains, and examines why they are of particular inportance in developing economies

Fideuram Investimenti CEO Tommaso Corcos believes wealthy clients are looking around for products that meet their needs, and is prepared to go down the sub-advisory route to match them, writes Elisa Trovato

Under pressure from the OECD, governments across the globe have gone a long way towards making the international tax system more transparent, writes Achim Obermann, a partner working in tax consultancy at PricewaterhouseCoopers

Bank of London and The Middle East (BLME) – a newly established, UK-regulated Islamic bank, with its own Sharia Supervisory Board – needed an overhaul of its technology to fulfil its expansion plans. Based since 2007 in London, the largest Islamic financial centre outside the Muslim world, BLME’s focus on high net worth customers demanded a modern yet cost-effective technology solution, enabling it to offer differentiated services to this discerning customer base. Nigel Dennison, BLME’s head of asset management and markets, and Adrian Gayler, head of private banking, explain to PWM the details of their bank’s business model and how they hope to enhance this through the implementation of the Oracle Flexcube private banking solution

Andrea Cecchini tells Elisa Trovato why he believes the financial crisis has left Italian domestic managers in a stronger position and describes the initiatives aimed at improving Eurizon’s distribution strategies

Clients are looking for portfolio structures they can understand, according to SG Hambros’ Alexandre Zimmerman, and so private banks are having to adapt and go back to basics. Yuri Bender reports

With socially responsible investments are becoming increasingly mainstream products, KBC Asset Management is able to look back on a long tradition in managing sustainable investments

Tailor-made solutions intended for high net worth clients of the private wealth management (PWM) industry have been increasingly successful and have proven a reliable source of performance. In a still disturbed but healing financial environment, Etienne Roesch explains how Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking’s PWM team provides a full range of investment solutions for private clients across Europe relying on its Cross Asset approach.

Giuseppe Di Stani, managing director at Morgan Stanley, looks at how investors might consider accessing research-led stock screens

Laurent Guillet, deputy CEO of CASAM, tells Yuri Bender about plans to prioritise structured products and to continue the expansion of the ETF range

Ian Marsh discusses strategic moves towards onshore banking and how he believes the ability to offer an integrated banking model sets Credit Suisse apart from its rivals. Yuri Bender reports

Private investors, disillusioned with the performance of their portfolios during the recent crisis, are seeking out new sources of guidance. Yuri Bender talks to Jewson Associates, a firm benefitting from this trend

Michael Jones of Janus Capital explains how the firm has emerged stronger from the troubles of its past, and why short-term outlooks are keeping distributors on their toes. Yuri Bender reports

Adam Wethered, co-founder of investment house Lord North Street, explains how his favoured business model apparently allows staff to spend time with clients and offer them a personalised service. Yuri Bender reports

Are the days of open architecture over, or does the third party approach still have a role to play in a landscape scarred by the financial crisis? And what approach is in the best interest of clients? Yuri Bender reports

The guided architecture concept – where bank staff guide customers through funds from six to ten big brand external managers, alongside house products – was introduced to Europe at Commerzbank by Joerg Brock in 2001.

Although questioned in the wake of the financial crisis that unfolded in September last year, structured investments have, in their wide majority, proven a reliable and resilient source of performance for investors. Thomas Carrega explains how they can help investors achieve their goals

While profits at the Julius Baer group have been falling – down by almost half in the first six months of 2009 to SFr219m (E143m) – they have fallen less than the army of analysts following the Swiss banking sector expected.

The bank, Switzerland’s second largest after UBS and Credit Suisse, recently separated its wealth and asset management franchises, now to be listed individually on the Swiss exchange. The figures who have attracted most coverage are Boris Collardi, the young and charismatic private banking boss and protégé of recently deceased veteran chief Alex Widmer; and the enigmatic leader of the funds house, David Solo.

But the bank’s recently appointed chief investment officer, Indian-born Dr V Anantha-Nageswaran (known as Dr Van to his colleagues and clients), is taking an increasingly important role in providing asset allocation guidance for the funds which are flowing out of some rivals into Julius Baer’s coffers. His experience working for Julius Baer in Singapore, as well as the bank’s two main rivals in Zurich, and running a hedge fund in between, should stand him in good stead for the challenge ahead.

Yuri Bender talks to Ausaf Abbas head of Emea sales at Morgan Stanley about plans to expand the business away from its US powerbase and the preference for an open architecture approach

Steve Seagrove explains how Standard Chartered is actively targeting the non-resident Indian segment, a group attracted by the international focus of the bank as well as the financial safety it offers. Yuri Bender reports

Professor Joe Bannister explains how Malta’s financial services industry has been transformed in recent years and the expansion of the wealth management side

Yuri Bender talks to Gary Marshall of Aberdeen Asset Management, who believes in offering a broad range of products to facilitate distribution, but that these vehicles must remain efficient

Lombard Odier has successfully re-invented itself as a foward-looking investment boutique, and senior partner Patrick Odier is hoping to target a younger generation of clients. Yuri Bender reports

Has the financial crisis changed the definition of value? Three value specialists from the Natixis Asset Management Group give their views on identifying opportunities in the current climate and agree that are some very attractive valuations to be found

Farley Thomas tells Yuri Bender about the growing demand for passive instruments and why he believes that asset allocation will be the key consideration over the coming months

Boris Collardi, the new CEO at Bank Julius Baer, breaks the mould for a senior Swiss private banker, writes Yuri Bender, and under his stewardship the bank plans to continue its cautious expansion process

PWM invited eight senior representatives of wealth management institutions and a major technology provider to the industry to FT headquarters in London. The purpose of this roundtable event was to examine the impact of the financial crisis on business models, to look at latest thinking in asset allocation and determine how operating efficiency can be best achieved, while offering a good-value proposition to private clients. Yuri Bender directs the discussion

Bob Parker, vice-chairman at Credit Suisse’s asset management arm, tells Yuri Bender that the industry may be under threat, but those providing the right advice and matching products to clients will come out on top

The global economic crisis has opened up huge opportunities for investors, writes Yuri Bender, but how should private clients apportion their assets?

At the centre of all questions of asset allocation at Credit Suisse is the Multi Asset Class Solution (Macs) unit, which not only decides optimal allocations, but also populates them and manages the investments for the Zurich-based private bank and other, third party customers. Yuri Bender talks to Michael Krinner, the Macs product specialist responsible for structuring and running the private banking mandates

Phil Barker explains how he is planning to utilise the Standard Life brand to boost the company’s investment arm during its continued expansion into the European market, writes Yuri Bender

Rémy Best, managing partner at Pictet & Cie and head of the funds franchise, talks to Yuri Bender about the bank's response to the current crisis

Fund houses and wealth managers are having to react rapidly to a changing environment and are trying to anticipate future demand for their products. But they will have to provide the simple and transparent investment vehicles that investors seek, writes Elisa Trovato

Yuri Bender talks to Alfredo Piacentini, co-founder of Banque Syz & Co, about his determination to improve performance in private banking

Oliver Behrens believes that harsh economic conditions are forcing the German mutual funds industry to take a safety first approach, and that DekaBank remains one step ahead of the competition in adapting to the new climate, writes Yuri Bender

The multi-boutique model and the more integrated approach to structuring fund houses and wealth managers both have their supporters but which, asks Yuri Bender, is more suited to the current financial landscape?

Yuri Bender talks to Jamie McLeod, CEO of Skandia Investment Group about the difficulties in achieving the right balance in the multi-manager world and his aim to achieve greater portability for funds

Despite having to deal with the immediate problems caused by the financial crisis, investors must understand the importance of keeping an eye on the long-term situation and taking advantage of the opportunities that arise, writes Elisa Trovato

Yuri Bender talks to Gilles Glicenstein, CEO of BNP Paribas Investment Partners, who believes the institution’s diversified product range and ability to connect with worried clients will help it to survive the financial crisis

Investors have been badly shaken by the financial turmoil, and clients are now looking for support, advice and transparency from their asset managers, writes Elisa Trovato