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RBC wins quirky manager mandate
RBC Investor & Treasury Services has been appointed global custodian and fund administrator to quirky manager Gemini Investment Management.
Gemini, formed in London in 2009 by its three directors – Stuart Alexander, Alan Jupp and Alison Savage – acts as both third-party marketer for other managers and Dublin-based fund manager to institutions and high net worth individuals.
Gemini’s slogan is: “Institutional investment for everyone else.”
Under the custody and admin deal, RBC will assist Gemini in expanding its own distribution and admin services for investment managers looking for cost-effective market entry for new funds or who have existing funds that would benefit from increased distribution through its outsourced Irish-domiciled UCITS platform.
Gemini aims to increase assets under administration by helping more investors benefit from the performance of boutique-type funds that currently do not have the required size or track record available from most fund distribution platforms.
Alexander says on the Gemini website: “We are often asked ‘is that really a strawberry and an elephant in your logo hidden among the numbers?’ The simple answer is ‘yes’.”
“At Gemini we believe that it is not just a numbers game purely seeing 2 +2 =4. It is about understanding how the numbers got there in the first place. Whether we are looking at a fund’s alpha, sharp (sic) ratio, its volatility, or charges, when working with our investment partners we need to fully appreciate the history, process, business model and investment managers approach to name but a few. It’s also about sustainability and how a funds proposition can align itself in the markets of today. Positive performance of any investment is important – headline figures sell funds. At Gemini we strongly believe in looking at all the fundamentals that become the driving factors and influences of a fund capability.So, as you can see, it’s not just about the numbers.”
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