Managing Director, Senior Consultant Relations

The Company

Mesirow Financial is an independent, employee-owned firm founded in 1937. As specialists in investment, risk management and advisory services, we are committed to helping our institutional, corporate, and individual clients achieve their objectives.

Mesirow Global Investment Management capabilities encompass global alternative and traditional capabilities that are customized by specialist teams to address individual risk and return objectives. Our traditional investment management teams deliver what institutional investors today value, from custom currency solutions and alpha generation to income generation and sustainable opportunities in strategy, fund or CIT format. In aggregate, the firm’s traditional investment management teams comprise approximately 55 professionals across five different portfolio management teams that manage roughly $10 billion in core and high-yield fixed income, equity, and sustainable strategies; and $90 billion in currency assets. In addition, Mesirow manages $5.3 billion in Private Equity partnerships and co-investments and $3.2 billion in direct value-added real estate

The Opportunity

The primary motivation for hiring this role is to focus, coordinate and advance Mesirow’s engagement with consultants that service investors consistent with our target markets.  The individual in this role is also expected to partner with various stakeholders on business strategies to determine relationship objectives, coordinate the short and long term execution of that strategy, evaluate and adjust to progress and results and maximize business reach and potential with the ultimate goal of achieving successful outcomes. The successful candidate will be expected to display a deep intellectual curiosity with respect to investor portfolio issues, adept at mapping and influencing a diverse group of stakeholders and possess a demonstrated track record of successfully developing and managing relationships with a broad range of investment consultants. 

Responsibilities: 

• Develop, nurture and manage consultant engagement in the role of Mesirow and its product areas in client portfolio objectives.
• Set strategic priorities within the consultant community driven by Mesirow’s particular opportunity set as defined by investor needs or decision making, consultant needs or decision making, product role and fit, and team capabilities.
• Develop and manage firmwide strategies to develop opportunities and engage consultants to utilize Mesirow capabilities
• Generate new buy-ratings and effectively position the firm’s investment strategies and capabilities
• Proactively identify business development opportunities within a consultant’s client roster and coordinate with relevant institutional sales colleagues to target, develop and close opportunities
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the investment consulting marketplace, including their business strategy and competitors, client roster, key decision-makers/influencers and their biases, manager selection process, and communication preferences
• Channel competitive intelligence and market information to team members, product groups and management
• Effectively and consistently document interaction with consultants in the firm’s CRM system
• Must be a proven team player with demonstrated ability to work productively with teams across the firm, including Consultant Relations, Sales, Investment Teams, Marketing, Operations, etc.

Key Qualifications:

• A minimum of 10-15 years of professional experience in a consultant relations role for a multi-product asset management firm.
• Outstanding academic qualifications, including advanced business degree, and/or professional certification (e.g. CAIA, CFA).
• Deep understanding of common portfolio strategies by client type and associated portfolio roles for different product strategies and risk profiles.
• Understanding of consultant decision making process and variations by consultant.
• Must be assertive, energetic and self-motivated, with an ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial atmosphere.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills coupled with persuasiveness and influence.
• Ability to navigate formal and informal communication to uncover priorities and needs of various stakeholders.
• Demonstrated investment and technical expertise to enable credible engagement around critical investment considerations and relative value assessments.

EOE