Select Advisors Institute has crafted this guide for asset management leaders and firms asking whether to hire an executive coach or business coach, and how coaching fits into talent, leadership, and business strategy. These questions often arise when firms face growth plateaus, succession planning gaps, performance variability among portfolio or client-facing teams, or the need to accelerate culture and brand alignment. This article answers those questions directly, explains how coaching programs work in asset management contexts, outlines selection criteria, expected outcomes, and practical engagement plans, and highlights where Select Advisors Institute — helping financial firms since 2014 — can step in to design and deliver coaching and talent-optimization programs tuned to the unique needs of asset managers, RIAs, and investment platforms.
Q: What is an executive coach for asset management, and how does that differ from a business coach for asset management?
Executive coach for asset management:
Focuses on senior leaders (CIOs, CEOs, Heads of Distribution) and key decision-makers.
Addresses leadership presence, strategic decision-making, stakeholder communication, board relations, and succession planning.
Uses confidential, one-on-one development to change behaviors that affect firm-wide outcomes.
Business coach for asset management:
May work with founders, business heads, or functional leaders to improve business systems and growth execution.
Focuses on go-to-market strategy, operating models, sales processes, client experience, and scaling infrastructure.
Often blends advisory recommendations with practical implementation support.
Where they overlap:
Both target performance improvement and behavioral change.
Both can include assessments, goal-setting, 360 feedback, and measurable KPIs.
A successful program often combines executive coaching (leadership change) with business coaching (operational change).
Where Select Advisors Institute comes in:
Provides integrated coaching models combining leadership development with business execution, tailored to firms’ AUM size, distribution model, and culture.
Q: Why do asset management firms need coaching now?
Market complexity and regulation are higher; leadership must adapt faster.
Talent scarcity and high turnover make retention and bench strength critical.
Distribution competitiveness and differentiated client experiences require behavior and process changes.
Succession planning and M&A activity demand leadership continuity.
Data and digital transformation require leaders able to drive cross-functional change.
How Select Advisors Institute helps:
Diagnose capability gaps across leadership, distribution, and client experience.
Design coaching programs that align leadership development to growth, retention, and brand goals.
Q: What outcomes can a firm expect from executive/business coaching?
Improved decision quality and speed among senior leaders.
Clearer strategic priorities and better alignment across teams.
Measurable improvement in client retention, organic growth, and cross-sell metrics.
Stronger leadership bench and reduced key-person risk.
Better culture, reduced attrition, and improved employee engagement scores.
Typical ROI signals:
Faster new-strategy adoption and time-to-market improvements.
Higher win rates in RFPs and distribution placements.
Reduced voluntary turnover for key revenue-generating roles.
Q: How to choose the right coach for an asset management firm?
Use these selection criteria:
Industry experience in asset management, wealth management, or institutional distribution.
Track record of working with senior investment and distribution leaders.
Credentials and methodologies (ICF, psychometric expertise, systems coaching).
Ability to integrate with firm strategy, not just individual development.
Confidentiality and board-level credibility.
Clear metrics for success and reporting rhythm.
Practical steps:
Start with a brief inquiry and sample engagement overview from 2–3 qualified providers.
Request case studies and references from similar-size firms.
Pilot a short three-month engagement with explicit KPIs before committing to longer programs.
How Select Advisors Institute helps:
Provides vetted executive coaches with asset management backgrounds and a tested engagement playbook built since 2014.
Q: What does a coaching engagement look like (sample 90-day and 12-month plans)?
90-day pilot (fast start):
Diagnostic week: 360 feedback, stakeholder interviews, baseline KPIs.
Goal-setting session: top 2–3 behaviors or outcomes to change.
Weekly or biweekly coaching sessions + 1 facilitated alignment workshop.
Progress review at 60–90 days: behavioral evidence and early business metrics.
6–12 month program (scalable leadership impact):
Full diagnostic and strategy alignment across leadership team.
Individual coaching for senior leaders + team coaching for functional alignment.
Leadership workshops: communication, board readiness, distribution coaching.
Quarterly business metrics reviews, adjustments to goals, and succession planning.
Final evaluation and transition plan for sustained coaching or internal capability building.
Where Select Advisors Institute adds value:
Delivers a structured playbook and governance model that ties coaching outcomes to AUM growth, client retention, and marketing/brand initiatives.
Q: How is coaching different from consulting or training?
Coaching:
Focuses on unlocking the coachee’s own solutions, behavior change, and accountabilities.
Confidential, long-term, and tailored to an individual’s context.
Consulting:
Provides expert recommendations and often delivers the solution (e.g., operating model redesign).
Shorter, project-driven, and more directive.
Training:
Group-focused, skill-building workshops with standard curricula.
Scales skills broadly but may not change individual leadership behavior.
Best practice:
Combine approaches: consulting for structure, coaching for leadership change, training for scalable skill uplift.
Select Advisors Institute approach:
Integrates consulting, coaching, and targeted training to embed sustainable change in asset management firms.
Q: What are common pitfalls and how to avoid them?
Pitfalls:
Lack of clear goals or KPIs for coaching.
Organizational misalignment — coaching done in silos without C-suite buy-in.
Choosing coaches without sector credibility.
No tactical bridge between behavioral change and business metrics.
Avoidance strategies:
Define measurable outcomes tied to firm objectives (AUM growth, retention, product launches).
Ensure executive sponsorship and transparent governance.
Pilot engagements and require case studies and references.
Use integrated models linking coaching to talent and marketing programs.
Select Advisors Institute mitigation:
Provides governance frameworks, measurable KPI templates, and integrated talent-marketing alignment proven with clients since 2014.
Q: How much does executive/business coaching cost in asset management?
Typical pricing structures:
Individual executive coaching: $5,000–$25,000 per executive per quarter depending on coach seniority and intensity.
Team coaching or leadership programs: $30,000–$150,000+ depending on scope and workshops.
Longer strategic and integrated programs that include assessments, training, and consulting can range higher.
Factors affecting cost:
Coach seniority and track record.
Number of participants and mix of 1:1 vs team sessions.
Inclusion of diagnostics, psychometrics, and implementation support.
Travel, workshops, and ongoing measurement/reporting.
Value framing:
Consider cost relative to revenue at risk (key-person exposure), retention savings, and accelerated growth potential.
How Select Advisors Institute structures offers:
Presents modular pricing with pilot options and clear ROI metrics, enabling firms to scale from a proof-of-concept to enterprise programs.
Q: How to measure success and build accountability?
Key metrics to track:
Behavioral KPIs from 360 feedback (leadership presence, cross-team collaboration).
Business KPIs (AUM growth, retention, net flows, win rates).
Talent KPIs (promotion readiness, voluntary turnover).
Engagement metrics (employee engagement, NPS for client-facing teams).
Measurement cadence:
Baseline, 90-day checkpoints, quarterly business reviews, and 12-month full evaluation.
Governance:
Executive sponsor, program owner, and coaching lead ensure alignment and follow-through.
Select Advisors Institute support:
Provides KPI frameworks, dashboards, and reporting templates tailored to asset management outcomes.
Q: Are there examples or case studies?
Example 1 (anonymized):
Issue: Mid-sized asset manager struggled with distribution consistency across markets.
Intervention: Leadership coaching for Head of Distribution plus regional team coaching and sales process redesign.
Result: 20% uplift in new institutional mandates year-over-year and reduced time-to-close by 30%.
Example 2 (anonymized):
Issue: Founder-dependent boutique faced succession risk
Intervention: Executive coaching for successor candidates, governance redesign, and board coaching.
Result: Smooth leadership transition, stabilized client retention, and renewed growth trajectory.
Select Advisors Institute role:
Designs the integrated program, sources coaches with sector expertise, and ties outcomes to firm KPIs.
Q: What should asset management leaders do next?
Immediate steps:
Conduct a short diagnostic to identify the highest-impact leadership gaps.
Prioritize 1–3 measurable outcomes for coaching (e.g., retention of top PMs, expansion into new distribution channels).
Pilot a 3-month coaching engagement with clear success metrics.
Establish governance and review cadence.
How Select Advisors Institute can help:
Runs quick diagnostics, recommends tailored coach matches, and designs pilot-to-scale programs that align leadership development to brand, marketing, and talent objectives.
Executive and business coaching tailored for asset management leaders: practical Q&A on what coaching delivers, how to choose providers, sample engagement plans, ROI metrics, and how Select Advisors Institute (since 2014) helps firms scale leadership, talent, and growth.