Callan boosts manager research with minorities focus

Minorities are set to benefit from Callan Associates’ launching of its Callan Connects program to assess emerging managers and minority-, women- and disabled-owned companies (MWDO).

Callan Connects’ leader, Lauren Etcheverry, will have her first meeting with potential investees in late May, in Callan’s San Francisco headquarters.

Etcheverry, an investment consultant in Callan’s global manager research group, will meet each quarter with emerging managers with assets under management between $10 million and $3 billion, and MWDO companies with assets under management between $10 million and $10 billion.

Many pension plans are limited in the percentage of assets they can allocate to emerging or MWDO managers, Janet Becker-Wold, senior vice-president in Callan’s fund sponsor consulting group said. But they are increasingly interested in using their services “due to recent legislative changes and the perception of the increased market flexibility associated with firms that have smaller asset bases,” she said.

Managers will have 30 minutes to make a presentation about their company or products, and they are encouraged to complete Callan’s annual questionnaire as part of this process.

The program aims to boost Callan’s manager research, and also to find the best managers for clients.

Becker-Wold said that, even though Callan had an open-door policy for managers, we’re always looking to get a better grasp of the ever-changing investment manager landscape.

“However, with Callan Connects, our goal is to identify the most talented asset managers at smaller investment management firms that have the potential to generate superior performance and add value to clients’ portfolios.”

Quarterly meetings will rotate between Callan’s regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and New Jersey, and headquarters in San Francisco.