Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: The Asian hedge fund industry can be a tough nut to crack for investors. Ed Rogers, CEO and founder of Rogers Investment Advisors says that investors often view the region as "too far, too foreign and too small," but in an interview with Opalesque TV he explains how it's no longer that way.
Rogers has been living in Japan since 1987. He built a career at Deutsche Bank in Asia before starting Rogers Investment Advisors in 2011. Since then, his firm has conducted due diligence on hundreds of Asian fund managers on-site. "Back in 2000, this industry was all of 25 guys drinking at the bar on Friday night," he explains. Now there are almost 1000 managers throughout the region.
He explains that by working with a firm that knows the languages and can overcome local cultural barriers to entry, investors can gain access to talented managers they might not otherwise be able to. Rogers maintains offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong and also sends teams out to evaluate managers in other countries.
"We have been willing to come in, do the evaluation early and invest early," he says. "That gives us the leverage to get concessions on fees." By going in early, Rogers is also able to understand potential business risks while a firm is new and flag them before they become operational habits.
Looking ahead, Rogers plans to launch a pan-Asian fund that will provide access to the best managers in the region. "We think this is a good opportunity...................... To view our full article Click here
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