Associate Director - Client Group, Malaysia

Job Description

Role Definition:

Reporting to the Head of Institutional – South East Asia, the role is part of the team responsible for growing, diversifying and retaining abrdn’s funds under management with SEA institutions, focusing on Malaysia. Working closely with the Head of Institutional – South East Asia, as well as the Malaysian Client Group Team, including the Chief Executive Officer – Malaysia, they will work with the Client Directors in identifying, building and managing relationships with allocated key target institutions including central banks, sovereign wealth funds, insurers, endowment funds, government institutions, and other official institutions predominantly in Malaysia.

Working as part of the South East Asia (SEA) Institutional Client team, the role is flexible in playing both a leading role on designated client relationships, pitches, and initiatives as well as supporting peers as 2nd chair on other accounts. The role is expected to mentor and guide junior team members as well as work closely with internal stakeholders, such as fund managers, consultant relations, and client services to execute the sales and retention strategy.

The role contributes to a robust and well-disciplined sales management process, including prospect identification, project managing complex client engagements (pitches and reviews), acting as the client advocate, and ensuring timely and accurate management information.

The role maintains a high knowledge of abrdn’s investment capabilities and our prospects’ needs, in order to idea generate and produce effective client engagement points.

This role is predominantly client-facing and will build the abrdn brand in SEA, positioning abrdn as a premier investment house.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Sales Strategy

1. Support the execution of a focused sales strategy for the SEA market, predominantly Malaysia, including individual responsibility for designated relationships and initiatives.
2. Identify and prospect new opportunities and relationships in support of the sales strategy.
3. Work with Client Directors to assist the Head of Institutional – South East Asia in developing the sales strategy and account plans, particularly for Malaysia.
4. Contribute to the building of significant funds under management across an array of investment strategies and solutions.
5. Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including fund managers, legal and compliance, and support teams to effectively project manage formal client engagements such as proposals, pitches, and reviews.
6. Stay abreast of industry developments and collect market intelligence to provide feedback to the broader business.
7. Deliver on stated objectives around individual meeting activity, team pipeline development, and team sales conversion.
8. Execute programs required to support the sales effort (e.g., arrange appropriate fund manager/portfolio specialists trips to raise abrdn profile and prospects).
9. Maintain a high level of knowledge on abrdn’s investment capabilities to match them with our prospects’ needs, generating ideas and producing client engagement points.
10. Guide and mentor junior team members to execute the team’s sales strategy.
11. Utilize Salesforce to tier clients, maintain meeting notes, and ensure account plans of key prospects are kept up to date and accurate.
12. Oversee accurate and timely management information to aid in the execution of decision-making.

Cross sell and client retention

Work closely with the client service team to collectively own client retention, assist them in developing client relationships to effectively cover day-to-day client servicing, and work closely to troubleshoot client retention issues. Identify and support cross-sell opportunities.

Core Knowledge

1. Understanding of the Asset Management industry, South East Asia (particularly the Singaporean) regulatory environment, and investment management.
2. Maintain an excellent knowledge of the sales process.
3. Track record in dealing with clients within Asset Management, including an ability to develop strong relationships.
4. Product experience that includes global equities, global fixed income, private markets, and multi-asset.

Core Skills

1. Self-starter, highly motivated, and able to work independently.
2. High level of personal integrity, regard for our clients, and respect for colleagues.
3. Strong team ethos, with an ability to work in both a supporting and leading role.
4. Ability to professionally engage clients and represent the abrdn brand.
5. Ability to plan, organize, and take initiative.
6. Outcome-oriented, with a focus on achieving sales outcomes.
7. Excellent communication skills: written and spoken, both face to face and over the telephone.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief, and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness, and transparency and welcomes inquiries from everyone. If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.