James Alexander, Executive Director
Although the move to digital platforms may have seemed daunting, especially for firms which historically relied on in-person meetings, the shift has proved positive in several instances and encouraged engagement and communication in ways which otherwise may not have been possible.
“As a marketing firm which relies heavily on travel and face-to-face meetings, Aravis Capital adapted quickly to the new state of affairs,” explains James Alexander, Executive Director at Aravis Capital, “We actually feel energised by the changes we made in our move to digital platforms. We have completely overhauled our digital footprint and the way we distribute information.”
He notes how when the Covid-19 pandemic first broke out, the Aravis Capital team was constantly in contact with investors to make sure they were getting the information they needed from their managers, despite the lack of face-to-face contact.
Alexander outlines how Aravis Capital enhanced its marketing efforts during this difficult period, setting up regular interactive webinars which were the keystone of its outreaching strategy. These events helped ensure communication between clients and managers remained robust.
The firm focused on setting up events with a high standard of production which provided attendees with a much better quality experience. “As a result of these webinars, we noticed something surprising; that people wanted less direct contact than we first expected because the events were giving them enough information,” Alexander points out.
This indicates the events were providing investors with excellent updates which helped them feel supported by both Aravis and the fund managers.
“By providing digital webinars produced to a high standard, we can enhance our offering to investors and give them with what they need, without the fund managers having to take time out of the office to travel,” Alexander notes.
These webinars have constantly improved to offer an engaging alternative to the traditional one-on-one meeting and have allowed Aravis Capital to tap into a much broader market.
Alexander details the firm’s plans to further expand its offering: “We continue to evolve and look for ways to diversify our client base and revenue streams. This is particularly important as equity markets adjust, and the low volatility and strong tail winds of recent years are replaced by greater uncertainty.
“Aravis Capital has an international sales and client service team, and we are always looking to deepen our knowledge and relationships in the fund buying markets in Europe and the UK.”
James co-founded Aravis Capital in 2010 and is the head of the distribution team. Before co-founding Aravis, James spent seven years as the marketing director at Atlantis Investment Management. James has over 30 years’ experience specialising in financial product sales in institutional equities and investment management based mostly in the UK but has also lived and worked in Thailand and Hong Kong. Previous employers include W.I. Carr (Overseas) Limited, BZW and Nomura.