Strategic Consulting

Asset Management

Cerulli helps asset managers realize new expansion opportunities with strategic recommendations for product development, pricing, and distribution.

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Jared F. Baucom

Jared F. Baucom

Managing Director, Global Sales & Marketing

Boston HQ +1 617.437.0084

Let Us Help You

Cerulli helps institutional and retail asset managers globally understand how and where to expand in an increasingly competitive and fee-compressed environment.

Our deep knowledge of the market and relationships with global allocators can help you assess how to strengthen your business model and provide you with tangible recommendations for optimal product structure, staffing levels, and distribution strategies.

Our project work coupled with our independent views and deep historical industry knowledge enable us to guide asset managers through critical decisions. We have the subject matter expertise you need to drive your business forward.

Explore our service offerings and solutions below.

How We Help Asset Management Firms

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Identify Opportunities for Market Expansion

Demand for asset management product varies by market and channel. Cerulli helps asset managers assess the competitive landscape and recommend which product structures and client segments offer the greatest opportunities for their firm

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Improve Your Service Model

We help asset managers align their sales, marketing, and product teams against the needs and behaviors of their clients and prospects to ensure they have the right organizational structure to meet their evolving needs.

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Target the Right Distribution Channels

Winning mandates from retail and institutional investors requires a deep understanding of the intermediaries that control asset flows. Cerulli helps asset managers target the right channels, craft their value proposition, and position their business to gather assets.

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Innovate Product Platforms

Optimize asset class, vehicle selection, product wrapper, and pricing for your current and desired clientele. Our team can benchmark your business against your peers, assess your ability to attract clients, and offer innovative solutions.


Success Stories

Firm type asset manager case studies3

Asset Manager Market Entry Strategy

Conducted addressability, product demand, and distribution strategy analysis for expansion into U.S. market via two acquisitions by Asian asset manager.

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Global Asset Manager Investor Segmentation

Created original investor behavioral segmentations and market sizing with recommended targeting methods and product positioning.

Firm type asset manager case studies

Large Cap Manager Distribution Expansion Strategy

Developed distribution strategy for asset growth, including new sales roles, target intermediaries, and product positioning recommendations.

Firm type asset manager case studies4

Asset Manager DCIO Entry Strategy

Developed entry strategy and expansion roadmap for mid-sized asset manager, including staffing, product, and marketing recommendations.


Meet Our Consultants

Bing Waldert

Bing Waldert

Managing Director, U.S. Research

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Bing Waldert

Bing Waldert

Managing Director, U.S. Research

Bing Waldert leads Cerulli’s U.S. Research team comprising seven research practices that cover all elements of the U.S. asset management, wealth management, and retirement markets. He has authored Cerulli reports on the wealth management industry, high-net-worth market, the annuity industry, and retirement markets. He is a frequent board-level and C-suite speaker and well-regarded industry thought leader. He has spoken in front of the Investment Company Institute (ICI), the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC), the Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI), and the Money Management Institute (MMI).

He has worked on client projects on emerging manager expansion strategies, independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), multi-family offices (MFOs), investment platforms, and the outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) industry. In addition, he has advised multiple private equity firms on acquisitions in the wealth management space.

Full biography here.

Andrew Blake

Andrew Blake

Associate Director

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Andrew Blake

Andrew Blake

Associate Director

Andrew is an Associate Director in the Wealth Management practice. He specializes in asset manager distribution strategies for products sold through financial advisors and is the author of The Cerulli Report—U.S. Intermediary Distribution. Before joining Cerulli Associates, he gained distribution experience at several firms, including Manulife John Hancock Investments. He also authored The Cerulli Report—U.S. Advisor Metrics, which explores trends in advisor practices, such as the use of investment products, client relationships, fees charged, and service offerings.

In his role, Andrew is also responsible for various strategic consulting engagements, focusing on key areas such as growth strategies, practice management, service expansion, M&A due diligence, product development, and distribution strategies.

Full biography here.

Asher Cheses

Asher Cheses

Director

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Asher Cheses

Asher Cheses

Director

Asher is a Director in the Wealth Management practice, specializing in research and consulting related to high-net-worth investors and advisory firms, including multi-family offices, RIAs, broker/dealers, private banks, and trust companies. As the co-head of Cerulli’s Wealth Management practice, Asher leads a team of analysts dedicated to developing data and insights to support Cerulli’s published research and consulting business. In his role, Asher is also responsible for leading various strategic consulting engagements, focusing on key areas including growth strategies, practice management, service expansion, M&A due diligence, product development, and distribution strategies.

Full biography here.

Brendan Powers, CFA

Brendan Powers, CFA

Director

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Brendan Powers, CFA

Brendan Powers, CFA

Director

Brendan is co-head of Cerulli’s Product Development and Institutional practices.

The Product Development practice focuses on trends related to asset managers’ product strategy, development, and management functions. This broadly includes assessing the opportunity for product line expansion, evaluating emerging product trends, assessing optimal pricing strategy, and understanding distribution and product positioning for investment products across retail and institutional channels.

The Institutional practice specializes in research and consulting related to institutional asset owners, including defined benefit plans, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and healthcare organizations as well as third-party allocators including consultants and outsourced chief investment officers (OCIOs).

Full biography here.

Michael Rose, CFP, MST

Michael Rose, CFP, MST

Director

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Michael Rose, CFP, MST

Michael Rose, CFP, MST

Director

Michael is a Director and co-head of Cerulli’s Wealth Management practice where he leads a team of analysts dedicated to developing data and insights to support Cerulli’s published research and consulting business. Michael specializes in research and consulting related to the delivery of wealth management services by broker/dealers in addition to wealth management technology utilized across all channels and he is the lead author of Cerulli’s U.S. Broker/Dealer Marketplace and State of U.S. Wealth Management Technology reports. Michael regularly engages with key constituents across the wealth management ecosystem, including financial advisors, wealth management firms, asset management firms, and technology providers, in order to measure key market characteristics and to advise executives.

Prior to joining Cerulli, Michael spent eight years working as a financial advisor, providing comprehensive wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals and families. Prior to his role as a financial advisor, Michael served as a market researcher and consultant for IDC, where he was responsible for researching trends within the infrastructure software marketplace and advising senior business executives on technology and product strategy.

Full biography here.

Scott Smith

Scott Smith

Senior Director

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Scott Smith

Scott Smith

Senior Director

As the Senior Director of Advice Relationships, Scott leads Cerulli's coverage of fee-based managed accounts and investors' engagement preferences. With more than 25 years of wealth management experience, Scott adds valuable context and perspective in assisting Cerulli's clients with optimizing their advisors' and investors' platform experiences, given the evolving demand for financial advice.

During his tenure at Cerulli, Scott’s research and consulting work has covered the full spectrum of wealth management topics, from product development and wholesale distribution to portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning.

Full biography here.

James Tamposi, CFA

James Tamposi, CFA

Associate Director

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James Tamposi, CFA

James Tamposi, CFA

Associate Director

James (Jack) is an Associate Director in the Institutional practice, specializing in research and consulting related to institutional asset owners – including defined benefit plans, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and healthcare organizations – and third-party allocators such as consultants and outsourced chief investment officers (OCIOs). Having contributed to reports across Cerulli’s suite of institutional research, he is the lead author of Cerulli’s North American Institutional Markets report, and he leads a team of analysts dedicated to developing data and insights to support Cerulli’s published research and consulting business. Supporting the firm’s consulting business, Jack has led institutional market entry strategy and pricing optimization projects for U.S. and non-U.S. asset managers.

Jack serves as President and Treasurer for the Massachusetts Air & Space Museum, a non-profit focused on fostering education through the preservation of aviation history. Prior to joining Cerulli, Jack worked as a Research Associate for Chatham Partners.

Full biography here.

Jared F. Baucom

Jared F. Baucom

Managing Director, Global Sales & Marketing

Bio →

Jared F. Baucom

Jared F. Baucom

Managing Director, Global Sales & Marketing

Jared is responsible for global sales, business development, and client service, including oversight of and coordination with the marketing team.

Prior to joining Cerulli, Jared worked as an equity analyst at Baring Asset Management, where he was responsible for the U.S. Utilities sector and also contributed to the U.S. Industrials sector. Prior to Barings, Jared spent two years at State Street Bank.

Full biography here.

Thought Leadership

Explore Our Perspectives

We cover the most important themes impacting the asset management industry.

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May 2024

M&A in Wealth Management

Access Cerulli’s latest insights on the drivers shaping merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in wealth management and the way that M&A will impact how advice is delivered across channels.

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May 2024

401(k) Managed Accounts: A Misunderstood Value Proposition

This research explores the opportunity to improve retirement confidence through increased participant adoption of DC managed accounts.

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September 2023

Adapting to Growing Private Markets: A Playbook for Practice Success

Advisors can use alternative investments to differentiate practices and attract, consolidate, and retain client assets.

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June 2023

Private Equity Carves Out Its Place in the RIA Space

Backed by some of the industry’s biggest PE players, M&A among RIA consolidators is strong.

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December 2022

The Case for Direct Indexing: Differentiation in a Competitive Marketplace

Demand for customization and differentiation from financial advisors and wealth management firms will lead to a surge in assets for direct indexing, with assets expected to grow at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3% and close 2026 with $825 billion in total assets.

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