Blue Heron Consulting - Investment Research and Strategic Consulting

Blue Heron provides investment research and strategy consulting services to investment management organizations. Our clients include both asset managers and institutional investors (pension plan sponsors/foundations) that offer or use multiple investment products.

The practice began in the late 1980’s at the Frank Russell Company, where Blue Heron founder Jeff Hansen was most recently the Director of International Management Consulting. He founded Blue Heron in 1999.

Blue Heron works closely with the Heads of Investments and Chief Investment Officers in all matters relating to investment and commercial success. Our clients have included some of the world’s largest and well-known mutual funds, banks, insurance companies, as well as investment boutiques and consultants.

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Quantitative and Qualitative Tools

Strategy Performance Indicators (SPIs)—developed to be better suited to managers’ practices than broad style categories. They measure the performance of the typical practitioner of a distinct equity investment strategy.

PAIN INDEXES™—a better tool to readily measure performance differences across managers within the traditional Growth, Value, and Core styles. They measure the spread (potential “pain,” if one is on the low end of the spread) between investment strategies identified by Blue Heron within each investment style.

Investment Team Scorecard—provides investment leadership with a comprehensive way to measure the quality of their investment teams.

Insight-Driven Enterprise Alignment (IDEA) model—based on Jeff Hansen’s book Surviving Success: Managing the Challenges of Growth, IDEA is integral to identifying organizational elements that should be preserved and those that should be changed to promote future growth and development.

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Professional Staff

Jeff Hansen – In the investment industry since 1983. Prior to founding Blue Heron in 1999, was with Frank Russell Company (Tacoma and Tokyo) in research and management consulting, and JP Morgan. Author of Surviving Success: Managing the Challenges of Growth.

Nola Kulig, CFA – In the investment industry since 1981. Previously with Frank Russell Company in manager research and investment strategy/fund management.

Advisors

Alice Simpson – In the investment industry since 1980. Previously with Frank Russell Company in manager research and in consulting to money managers.

Duncan Smith – In the investment industry since 1964. Previously with Frank Russell Company and KPMG.

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Blue Heron Talking Points

Blue Heron’s senior professionals can provide background, specific commentary and perspective on major topics affecting the investment industry:

1. Portfolio management strategies and styles
• Styles, substyles, strategies
• The style box mentality vs. the free range manager
• Risk management
• The case for international, revisited

2. How to succeed in the asset management business
• Post M&A success factors
• Managing growth and change
• Leadership strategies and team building
• Good governance for investment management firms

3. The overall status of the investment industry
• The US Pension Crisis
• The Changing of the Guard in the investment industry
• Research: Wall Street and beyond
• Looking out for the individual investor

Blue Heron – Resources

Blue Heron professionals bring a unique perspective as they have interrogated, literally, thousands of portfolio managers over a period of many years. This is the basis for insights into the development of individual firms and industry trends as well as point-in-time comparisons. Blue Heron’s professionals have also worked as fund managers at Russell, developed proprietary analytics and researched the organizational development of entrepreneurial businesses.

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Professional Staff Areas of Expertise (with phone numbers)

Jeff Hansen – 253-274-0202
Jeff is Blue Heron’s primary spokesperson. He has one of the industry’s sharpest eyes on long-term trends and is an authoritative voice on managing the development of successful firms.

Jeff has worked in the investment industry since 1983. Prior to founding Blue Heron in 1999, he was with Frank Russell Company (Tacoma and Tokyo) in research and management consulting, and JP Morgan. Author of Surviving Success: Managing the Challenges of Growth.

Nola Kulig – 413-565-2839
Nola specializes in equity investing, style and sector analysis and valuation issues. In the investment industry since 1981. Previously with Frank Russell Company in manager research and investment strategy/fund management.

Advisors

Alice Simpson – 253-274-0202
Alice brings particular insight to questions about international investing. She has worked in the investment industry since 1980. Previously with Frank Russell Company in manager research and in consulting to money managers.

Duncan Smith – 253-274-0202
Duncan is a noted raconteur with original views on topics of interest to both individual and institutional investors. In the investment industry since 1964. Previously with Frank Russell Company and KPMG.

Topics for feature articles
Feel free to call us if you’d like to discuss topics for feature articles. Our job is to help our clients think ahead; we generally have a list of 4-6 “hot topics” that should be of interest to you and your audience. Call Jeff Hansen for details.

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