Table of Contents

1. What is Strategy? 2. Strategy and Investment  3. Conducting the Process 4. What sort of investor are we? Different perspectives on liquidity and volatility 5. SWOT analysis for investors 6. What are we Trying to Achieve? 7. Asset Allocation: Theory and Practice 8. Asset Allocation in Practice 9. How to Access Asset Types: Selecting Passive and Active Managers 10. New Developments: Trend and Risk Factor Investing 11. Ten 'Do' and 'Don't' Guidelines 12. Concluding Thoughts: Where are we Going?

About the Author

Guy Fraser-Sampson is a Senior Fellow at Cass Business School in the City of London where he creates and teaches post-graduate investment modules as well as supervising various research projects. He has a long history of practical experience, including a period working in the Middle East as Investment Controller with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (reputedly the largest investor in the world), and subsequently running for several years the international operations of a leading fund manager.

He is the author of several books on finance and economics including Multi Asset Class Investment Strategy and Alternative Assets: Investments for a Post-Crisis World. His best-selling Private Equity as an Asset Class has been translated into various languages and adopted as the standard text on the subject by business schools worldwide.

In addition to his teaching, writing and investment activities he has for some years also conducted consultancy and high level executive training sessions helping investors to set their activities within a strategic framework and to develop the necessary systems and processes to allow this to function properly.

He is a frequent commentator on both television and radio and a well-known public speaker.

Most recently his book The Mess We're In: Why Politicians Can't Fix Financial Crises has been widely covered in the media, discussed at university and think tank events, and nominated for the Orwell Prize.

Reviews

'A fantastic guide to setting investment strategy, based on the practical experience of one of the world's leading experts in the field.' - Askar Karimullin, Kazakhstan Sovereign Wealth Fund 'Shows all too clearly how organisational and behavioural issues often get in the way of clear strategic thinking. A great read for anyone attempting to drive change or innovation in the investment field.' - Mark Baumgartner, PhD The Ford Foundation