BACCI Investment Solutions, one of the few owner managed boutique asset managers in SA, has announced that another high-profile asset manager will join their team within the next few months.
Vanessa Hofmeyr, who has chalked up more than 30 years’ experience in the wealth management industry, will add her expertise to the team as chief investment officer.
"BACCI is quite a small firm, partly by design," says Vanessa. "The firm's aim is to offer each client a specialised and tailored solution that is designed to satisfy their unique needs, from equity trading to portfolio management and overall wealth planning."
Vanessa launched her career in investment management as one of the founding team members of Coronation Fund Managers in 1993, having previously worked with the team at Syfrets Managed Assets since 1988. She moved to Investec Asset Managers in 2005 to head up the Growth Strategy, before taking up the role as portfolio manager and head of equities at Citadel Wealth Management in 2011.
"My sense is that wealth management is optimal as a personalised, discrete yet highly professional service and, dare I say it, a less corporate type approach.
"BACCI Investment Solutions is a young firm, but together the team has close to 100 years of experience in financial markets. Having worked with the founders of BACCI at Citadel I believe we make a formidable team and I am looking forward to working with them again," says Vanessa.
One of the things that attracted her to BACCI is the firm's philosophy of following an uncomplicated, clear and sensible approach when planning clients' financial and investment affairs.
"BACCI keep it focussed and simple, and don’t over-complicate their approach to clients by avoiding complex multi-layered structures, which can also lead to unnecessarily higher fees”.
BACCI offers client a full range of investment options. JSE listed shares and listed property and real estate instruments form the core focus of equity and property portfolios, while local bonds will be included at times when asset allocation prescribes exposure to bonds.
Exposure to international markets is primarily through both direct segregated portfolios as well as international funds. The firm has a focus on investing in great companies and let the companies generate the investment returns.
"They aim to find the best solution for every client," says Vanessa, "while still looking for a transparent and not overly complex solution, to simplify their lives."
Vanessa says that an individual client's needs and his/her appetite for risk, in the context of market volatility, would form the basis of planning an optimal investment strategy.
Boutique asset managers can offer services that fall outside the scope of the large asset managers that focus on the large retail market as a whole. "Sometimes larger, corporate investment managers may struggle to give that close and personal service to clients."
Vanessa has a B. Comm from the University of Cape Town and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.