PM Alpha CIO highlights top 3 investor challenges to public markets investors

UK wealth advisors know that clients may be increasingly aware that private market investments such as venture capital, private equity and credit must be in a nourishing investments menu. But as is so often the case, the hard part is finding an opening for clients and helping their advisors to make a start.

In all the talk of “access” to private markets over the past few years, much of the focus has been on reducing the entry ticket price investors need to pay. Traditionally, for example, to enter into private equity investors needed at least £1 million ($1.2 million).

Advisors know that their savvier clients may want a blend of private market opportunities where the hard work of spreading risks and avoiding duds has been taken care of by a professional. However, where should they go for help? PM Alpha, a newly-minted UK-based private markets platform, argues that it can help advisors create solutions.

PM Alpha, which was established a year ago, caters to the intermediary sector, such as wealth managers and private banks. This news service recently spoke to Tom Douie, its chief executive. Before founding the business, he served as MD, global head of distribution at Muzinich & Co Limited in London. Other career stints have included spells at Neuberger Berman (Europe), Morgan Stanley and Alliance Capital Management.

“We are about creating an end-to-end toolkit that enables wealth managers and distributors to offer private markets,” Douie said. Enablement involves several factors: costs, digitalisation, regulations, training, and product construction.

“I want to serve wealth managers who themselves serve the end-client,” he said.

The firm opened its platform to its first wealth management community members in late September after officially launching at the IPEM private markets conference in Cannes..............