Ken Mota
Vice President, Client Service/Marketing
One of the most positive aspects of GlobeFlex is the organization's transparency and that carries into the sales process. Essentially, the clients and prospects who are my responsibility get the same access I have to the strategic people at the firm, the people who make decisions for the portfolio. My role is really straightforward: to listen and convey answers with proof. The open environment makes the process efficient, with no need for sugar coating.
When you review the holdings in a GlobeFlex portfolio you can go stock by stock and see why they're there. Our strategy looks for companies with positive change in business momentum and decent valuation and that's what we review as often as the client wants. Meetings are a logic check on the process.
We have great research to present, to show our capabilities. We build relationships by giving people just what they need but not wasting their time with more than they need. If a client is nervous about markets or a strategy, we explore it further with them, but don't come in with that huge book when markets are not doing well. We come in with a small book that pinpoints why. We explain the philosophy again, make them understand why they hired you, make sure they have that long-term perspective. Open communication is the most important thing. It's a personal business, a small world, and once they like you and know you do a good job, the word gets out.
Jerre Bridges
Vice President, Client Service/Marketing
The vision of GlobeFlex is to serve a broad client base with a high degree of flexibility, to be one of those shops that doesn't garnish print, maybe not the best known, no retail presence, but among those in the know this firm will have carved out a loyal following.
When the label "quant" comes up, I say if you mean complex investment theory with complicated algorithms, no, it's not us. But if you mean systematic analyzing of fundamental criteria to look at stocks, indeed we are. We utilize sound basic investment theory in less time, with a phenomenal set of tools.
On the self-improvement front we are vastly different from the many organizations so fearful of change. We are incredibly inquisitive and have put in a structure that can feed that trait. Those clients who are tuned into what we are doing will always be amazed.
My role is helping, not selling. GlobeFlex has the skill set inhouse to support me in that role. Everyone here talks about information-driven client service. What that boils down to is for me to prepare for every eventuality, know the message and nail it to the wall. Rather than get distracted by who our competition is, I lead with philosophy, then talk process and use performance as proof. It's a systematic approach. The way we earn respect is to find clients one by one just like our team finds stocks.
Noah Bretz
Partner, Client Service/Marketing
On the sales side of the business, we come with a deep well of knowledge from which to draw, not only on what we are doing but how it works over various scenarios. We avoid going too far in the "data dump" direction by understanding each aspect of our process in a conceptual way. With a conceptual approach you are able to synthesize answers and information through analogies and comparisons, underscoring points with good solid evidence available from our enormous research effort.
I also field the client and consultant requests, the "you want it, we can do it" part of the team. One of the best things about that role is being close to the investment team and seeing the information. We can have an immediate conversation to extract something that's meaningful to the client or for a prospect call. There's always a piece of data to answer every question, so it's just a matter of making sure you're constantly aware and then the answers become easy.
Client requests are great, the equivalent of real-time market research. They give us exposure to the prevailing questions and the opportunity to demonstrate our skill. We're fortunate enough to have some really analytical clients. Sometimes we go beyond their request to take it to the next level of information, giving them an interpretation or setting the information in a historical time frame. That's a lot of fun.
Pamela M. Farrell
Associate, Client Service/Marketing
My role at GlobeFlex is totally aligned with the firm’s overall philosophy: to be outstanding at keeping our prospects, consultants, and our clients informed at the level they desire. Being a great data minder takes a combination of passion, organization and skill. It means being comprehensive, understanding the questions behind the questions. It means taking pride in being accountable.
There’s an initiation process at this firm, an emphasis on side-by-side responsibility and a shared desire to preserve our client-oriented culture at all costs. Essentially, I act as the central resource point for the outside world. As the keeper of a lot of the internal data used for RFPs and questionnaires, I’m the response hub for all inquiries. Plus, I’m the home-based client servicing back-up for our client service/marketing team. Clients know they can always reach me for immediate responsiveness if the rest of the team is traveling.
In a transparent, flat organization, everyone matters; it’s a team and they’re counting on me. I work hand-in-hand with the partners and founders of the firm, and we have the tools in hand to be efficient, so I take personal pride in addressing problems or requests immediately. Coming from a larger company background makes me appreciate being at GlobeFlex. We have a deep commitment to what we’re doing here. Because of the atmosphere of trust and respect, morale is very high.
Having started in this industry at the height of the tech bubble in a value shop makes me realize how things are a lot more even-keeled now. Overall, I see the industry going more toward systematic investment processes, where the value added can be very clearly delineated, but the need for the human element will always be paramount. And here I will be, happily in the middle of it all.
Joyce Hulbert
Associate, Office Manager
I am "the voice of GlobeFlex," the first impression. At the first phone contact with clients, we try to pick up on what they need quickly by sensing their body language over the phone and responding in just the way they need at that time.
Plus, we use a great contact management system to pass along to each other any conversations, additional information, special contact numbers, so that everyone has it almost instantaneously. We're proud of our client service. It's a big part of our culture. People know that when they call here, they're going to get what they want fast.
And internally, we're all different personalities, but we communicate well. We're a firm of individuals who talk to each other, take care of each other. Everybody has backup on their jobs; when someone is out, we know we can cover it. As a group, we have a great, positive attitude.
Firm Culture and PhilosophyMarina Marrelli
Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Client Services & Marketing Director
We are a tight-knit team of experts, and we want to keep it that way. A focused institutional boutique can be pro-active in protecting its environment and since every incoming personality changes the organism, we carefully choose. We get a lot of resumes from incredibly bright, talented, driven people, but we need individuals who really want to be part of a team and understand what that means in terms of mutual learning and mutual respect and mutual teaching. Our culture calls for lots of multi-tasking and the roles are more blurred than in a large firm. It's not for everyone.
In addition to hiring the right people, its giving people enough freedom in their positions to own their jobs, which brings with it complete accountability. You have authority, you have responsibility, and you have accountability. We've built a web of inter-accountability. It's not just one-on-one; it's accountability to the team, to the specific project group you're working with.
People here are given unlimited upside potential. The greatest gratification comes from feeling that all your efforts and talents directly affect the bottom line, that you are positively regarded and
that you are respected for your skill set. There's no ceiling.
We add the right people when necessary, but to keep the human component as focused as possible we are also very focused on technology. Consultants and others are always surprised that a privately owned firm of our size has built the sorts of resources we've built. Not only do we have a research platform that serves as a portfolio management laboratory, testing any investment concept we can conceive of, we also have a straight-through processing that brings enormous efficiency.
Here the client is boss, in every form of the word. We are oriented toward collaboration, internally and externally. So we tend to attract clients who are more analytic and who view their managers more as a resource. Their requests for information are a source of learning. It would be easier to be less responsive, to have more mass appeal. But that doesn't fit our personality. If you want to keep being mentally challenged, if you want to keep pushing the research envelope, this is the best way to do it.