What made you decide to go into investment consulting?
I started my career in general business consultancy back in 2012. However, after a couple of years I realised what I enjoyed the most were the numerical, analytical and problem solving aspects of consultancy.  As my degree was in Economics, I had always been very interested in the investment markets and the economy, and so I felt investment consultancy would be a great fit for my skills and interests.  The prospect of studying for a prestigious qualification, such as the actuarial or CFA exams, really appealed to me too.
I was introduced to LCP through a friend who was already working here, and she explained the type of work that LCP are involved in and explained the close-knit, fun, community culture that was here which seemed perfect for me!
What does your job involve?
I provide investment advice to a range of pension schemes: defined benefit and defined contribution, large and small. Each of my clients is different, and so is the type of work I’m involved in each week.
In a typical week I usually work on providing strategy advice to my clients, whether that’s completing a full strategy review, or preparing advice on a proposed new investment / manager for the scheme. I will also often organise the transfer of a client’s assets to either a new investment manager or the trustee bank account to pay member pensions.
At the end of each quarter, I am heavily involved in producing performance reports for each of my clients, where I explain how and why their assets have changed over the quarter. I will often attend the trustee meeting and present the report to the trustees.
Within LCP all the analysts get involved with manager research, so over the past year I have attended around 2 or 3 research meetings a month. I’ve chosen to specialise in equity manager research.  Getting involved in manager research has been a great opportunity for me to understand more clearly how some of the funds my clients are invested in work. It’s also a useful opportunity to learn more about current trends and the outlook in the economy.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
The part I love most about my job is that every day is very different. In one day I could be doing a variety of tasks; such as strategy reviews, manager selections, asset transfers or attending manager research meetings, so it means my days are always a new challenge!
I’ve also loved how quickly LCP have given me responsibility. Within the first two months of joining I was attending trustee meetings, and a year later, I’m now presenting at those trustee meetings. Although it was a bit daunting at first, the trust and responsibility has been great and really allowed me to learn and develop much quicker.
The investment department at LCP has also had huge growth in recent years which means the department feels vibrant, and the social side of the job is great! There’s always some form of drinks, team socials, or fund manager events going on so there’s always something to get involved in!