AJ Bell Investments –
Managing Director
Who we are
We’re one of the UK’s largest and best regarded investment platforms, operating at scale in both intermediated and direct-to-consumer (D2C) market segments.
Over 503,000 customers trust us with their investments, and by continuously striving to make investing easier, we aim to help even more people take control of their financial future.
Our award-winning platforms offer a wide range of investment options, all of the main tax wrappers and an array of tools and features for DIY investors and UK financial advisers alike.
Our in-house investment solutions are available on both our own platforms and investment platforms provided by third-parties.
Our head office in located at Exchange Quay in Manchester, and we also have offices in London and Bristol.
Company timeline
Company Financial Performance
Interim report for the 6 months ended 31 March 2024
Customers
Platform and non-platform
Assets under administration
Revenue
PBT
Our propositions
Direct-to-consumer market
Advised market
Our accolades
Feel good, investing
We’re delighted to be the title partner of the AJ Bell Great Run Series, supporting hundreds of thousands of people on their running journeys over the next four years. At AJ Bell, we aim to make people feel good, investing and we believe that by supporting high profile events such as the Great Run Series, we can help to raise awareness of the positive impact that running can have on our everyday lives, including our physical and mental wellbeing.
Proud sponsors of
Our approach to investing
Recognising the importance of diversification for customers, all solutions are multi-asset investments, with a focus on adding value to customers and advisers through our rigorous investment process.
The AJ Bell Funds and MPS are designed to behave in a predictable manner around pre-defined levels of risk as measured by volatility. Our Investment Team uses a set of Capital Market Assumptions (CMA’s) for selected asset classes to construct a range of portfolios that sit on or close to the efficient frontier using a Mean Variance Optimiser (MVO).
The strategic asset allocation process is focussed on five defined high-level ‘buckets’ that see the level of exposure varied depending on the level of risk being taken:
– Cash & UK fixed interest
– International fixed interest (unhedged)
– UK equities
– International equities
– Alternatives
Sitting underneath these core asset classes, 16 sub-asset classes are then optimised using the MVO to build the most efficient portfolio possible for the given level of risk, taking into account the constraints that have been built into the optimisation process.
We embrace mega trends across the industry to develop solutions fit for the future.
The emergence of passive investing
The industry has seen a clear and sustained shift towards passive investing. Whilst we believe both active and passive investing have a role to play in the industry, we expect the shift to passive to continue as price and value are increasingly brought to the fore.
Our implementation focuses on passive investing, with blended and active approaches also used to deliver choice for advisers and customers.
The growth of Centralised Investment Propositions (CIPs)
Adviser’s adoption of CIPs has accelerated alongside the interest in passive investing. This corresponds with a need from advisers to drive efficiencies in their own business to deliver good outcomes for customers and freeing up their time to focus on adding value through their core services.
Advisers take different approaches here – some fully outsourcing, others wanting to maintain some control through tailored or segmented mandates. Our range of services provides the right choice, whether that be on our own platform or that of a third-party.
A commitment to choice
Whether advised or DIY investors are looking to accumulate wealth with our ‘growth’ range, align their portfolio and personal values with our ‘responsible’ fund, or earn a yield from our ‘income’ options, AJ Bell Funds are designed to deliver outcome-orientated returns to suit a variety of different needs.
Our Managed Portfolio Service is offered in a variety of implementations – passive, active and our blended solution.
Passive
Using an ‘unfettered’ approach, our Passive portfolios are built using what we consider to be the best passive products in each asset class. Thanks to our dedicated fund research team, the portfolios are able to keep abreast of all the latest product developments in this fast-paced, low-cost sector of the market.
Active
With a focus on identifying skill over luck, the Active portfolios utilise our expertise in finding what we consider to be the best active managers in each asset class, belding styles, factors and approaches to create a complete Active portfolio. Thanks to our focus on costs, we only use active managers in areas where we believe we achieve performance worth paying for.
'Pactive'
Designed for clients and advisers who like the performance potential of active management but are also fans of the low-cost, passive approach, the ‘Pactive’ portfolios are built with the same rigour and discipline applied to the Passive and Active MPS range, but with the added luxury of leaving us to decide on the mix of the two.
All of this means that our range of solutions provides competitively priced choice to investors across a range of risk appetites and through the investment lifecycle.
 | Cautious | Moderately cautious | Balanced | Moderately adventerous | Adventurous | Global growth | Income | Income & growth | Responsible growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
 |  |  |  |  |  | | |||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | |
 |  | |  |  |  |  | | | |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitment to keeping costs low
Our commitment to low costs is service and style agnostic – the Managed Portfolio Service has an AMC of just 15bps across the whole growth range. The growth funds have a capped OCF of 31bps, allowing for a typical AMC-equivalent of around 15bps.
Our scale also allows us to deliver some fee-free investment options, either as wrap around services to add value for advisers and their clients, or to help customers using our award-winning D2C platform.
The Money Market MPS is available to advisers and their clients exclusively on AJ Bell Investcentre – the first nil-AMC Money Market MPS in the UK, this proposition demonstrates the commitment to innovating and using our scale to provide good outcomes and value for customers.
Money Market MPS
– Basket of money market and ultra short-date bond funds
– AJ Bell AMC = 0%
Our performance
Investment performance
Essential to our investment activities is a robust governance structure. This includes a dedicated Investment Proposition Committee, independently chaired comprising both internal and external members, to help provide constructive challenge and oversight. The combination of robust governance and a rigorous investment process has delivered strong performance since the inception of our range of funds.
Fund | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | 4 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cautious | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Moderately cautious | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st |
Balanced | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Moderately adventurous | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Adventurous | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Global growth | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Responsible growth | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | n/a | n/a |
Business Growth
As our platform business continues to attract both new customers and additional asset from existing customers, the market for our transparent, low-cost investment solutions continues to expand.
Our funds have not only proved popular with customers and advisers who already use an AJ Bell platform, but also with IFAs using third party platforms.
AJ Bell Investments timeline
The AJ Bell Way
At the heart of our business is a clear and succinct purpose which drives everything we do:
To help people invest
We want to make investing as easy as possible for our customers to enable them to take control of their finances and realise their financial goals.
Serving the needs of our customers
AJ Bell is one of the UK’s largest and best-regarded investment platforms. Whether through a financial adviser, or managing your investments yourself, we offer a range of products to help you achieve your financial goals.
We make investing easier
Our company is built on a set of guiding principles that define the way we do business.
Our guiding principles
We want to provide our customers the easiest investment platform to enable them to take control of their finances and realise their financial goals.
Our strategy
growth
service
engagement
Creating sustainable value
Responsible propositions
Offering products and services that are aligned with our purpose.
Responsible employer
Developing and supporting our people to help them achieve their potential.
Supporting our local communities
Playing a positive and supporting role in our local communities.
Environmental awareness
Minimising our impact on the environment.
The role spec
The AJ Bell Investments – Managing Director role is a pivotal leadership role at AJ Bell. Whilst the role is primarily focused on leading the AJ Bell Investments business unit, as a member of the AJ Bell Executive Committee, the successful candidate will contribute to the development and delivery of group strategy.
Interview process
AJ Bell appreciates that selection is a two-way process, and any appointment must be a good fit for both parties. The process is intended to allow both parties to have sufficient time and opportunity to assess cultural and team alignment as well as the balance between the individual’s and AJ Bell’s aspirations. Our objective is to ensure that there is clarity around the role, the key challenges, opportunities and priorities.
The process will involve an initial assessment with Warren Partners, our external advisers followed by meetings with relevant senior management and other key stakeholders.
Stage 1
Stage 2
Interview with Non-Executive Directors
Stage 3
….
Application process
For more information contact
Elaine Robinson
Consultant at Warren Partners
Head office
4 Exchange Quay
Salford Quays
Manchester
M5 3EE
0345 40 89 100