Investor relations (IR) is a core function for asset managers who need to attract capital, maintain trust with existing investors, and communicate performance and strategy clearly. You may be asking questions like who the top investor relations professionals are, whether to outsource IR, and which firms are best for asset managers. This guide answers those questions in a clear Q&A style and explains how Select Advisors Institute can help—bringing experience since 2014 helping financial firms around the world optimize talent, brand, marketing, and vendor relationships. Use this as a practical reference for choosing IR partners, building in-house capability, and measuring results.
Q: Who are the top investor relations professionals in finance?
Top investor relations professionals combine capital markets knowledge, communications skills, and deep understanding of investment product teams. They typically have backgrounds in:
Asset management product distribution or institutional sales.
Investment research or portfolio management, enabling accurate translation of strategy and performance.
Corporate communications, financial PR, or fund marketing for messaging and media relations.
Capital raising and client servicing in pensions, endowments, wealth managers, or private clients.
Attributes to look for:
Credibility with buy-side and sell-side audiences.
Proven experience presenting to consultants, OCIOs, family offices, and gatekeepers.
Track record growing AUM or improving retention for similar fund strategies.
Measurable KPIs such as conversion rates from meetings to mandates, improved RFP win rates, or distribution cost reductions.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: Select Advisors Institute sources IR leaders and specialists experienced across channels, assesses fit against firm strategy, and helps onboard IR hires to align messaging and distribution plans.
Q: What is outsourced investor relations and when does it make sense?
Outsourced investor relations (outsourced IR) means hiring a third-party firm to handle IR activities either partially (supporting functions) or fully (end-to-end IR). Typical services:
Investor targeting and outreach.
Roadshow coordination and meeting scheduling.
Messaging, pitchbooks, and performance reporting.
Media relations and thought leadership amplification.
CRM management, pipeline tracking, and analytics.
When outsourcing makes sense:
New or small-to-mid-size managers lacking internal scale.
Firms launching new strategies that need market testing before hiring full teams.
Temporary needs such as fundraising for seed or institutional mandates.
Desire for specialist skills (e.g., consultant relations) without long-term hires.
Outsourcing pitfalls to watch:
Lack of product knowledge if vendor is too generalized.
Misalignment of incentives; ensure vendor paid for outcomes, not just hours.
Data and CRM fragmentation—insist on integrated systems and ownership rules.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: Select Advisors Institute assists in vendor selection, scopes and negotiates contracts to align incentives, and integrates outsourced IR with in-house teams to maintain continuity and governance.
Q: Which are the best investor relations firms for asset managers?
"Best" depends on needs—size, strategy, target investor type, geography. Prioritize firms that specialize in asset managers and demonstrate:
Track record with similar strategies (equity long/short, fixed income, quant, alternatives).
Strong relationships with consultants, OCIOs, family offices, and wealth channels relevant to the manager’s targets.
Technical capability for performance reporting and compliance-ready communications.
CRM and analytics to demonstrate pipeline conversion and ROI.
Categories of best firms:
Boutique IR firms focused solely on asset management distribution and consultant relations.
Hybrid firms combining PR, thought leadership, and capital introduction.
Large global communications firms with institutional distribution practices for managers scaling internationally.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: Select Advisors Institute evaluates firms against the manager’s growth plan, negotiates fee structures tied to milestones, and monitors vendor performance against KPIs established at onboarding.
Q: Who are the best investor relations consultants?
Investor relations consultants advise on strategy, messaging, and distribution process. The best consultants typically:
Provide bespoke strategy rather than one-size-fits-all approaches.
Offer a track record of tangible outcomes (AUM growth, successful launches, improved retention).
Have multi-disciplinary teams: distribution advisors, content specialists, compliance experts, and data analysts.
Can run mock roadshows, pitch training, and investor feedback loops.
Selecting a consultant:
Ask for past case studies aligned to the firm’s strategy.
Check references with clients at similar AUM and product mix.
Confirm ability to work with compliance to produce approved materials.
Define success metrics and reporting cadence.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: Select Advisors Institute provides consultancy services and also sources independent consultants. With experience advising managers since 2014, the Institute bridges strategy, hiring, and execution to accelerate fundraising.
Q: What services should an investor relations company provide?
Core services an IR company should deliver:
Investor targeting and segmentation.
Roadshows, meeting scheduling, and follow-up execution.
Materials creation: pitchbooks, fact sheets, manager bios, and performance decks.
Consultant and gatekeeper outreach.
CRM implementation and pipeline reporting.
Media and thought leadership amplification.
Compliance review workflows and version control.
Advanced offerings:
Digital marketing and SEO for asset manager visibility.
Data analytics to benchmark performance against peers.
RFP response writing and mock interviews.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: The Institute supports full service scoping and can provide or source talent for each capability, ensuring materials, pipeline management, and outreach are integrated with branding and marketing.
Q: How to choose between in-house IR and outsourced IR?
Decision factors:
Budget and fixed-cost tolerance: In-house offers control but higher fixed costs; outsourced can be variable and scalable.
Speed to market: Outsourced partners can often start faster than hiring senior hires.
Knowledge continuity: In-house retains institutional knowledge; outsourcing risks vendor turnover unless managed.
Control of messaging and compliance: In-house may allow tighter control; choose vendors with rigorous compliance processes.
Recommended approach:
Use a hybrid model early: outsource targeted functions (consultant relations, roadshows) while hiring a senior in-house IR leader to own strategy and relationships.
Transition responsibilities to internal team as AUM and revenue justify the fixed cost.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: Select Advisors Institute specializes in designing hybrid models, recruiting senior IR leaders, and managing vendor relationships during the transition.
Q: What pricing models do investor relations firms use?
Common pricing models:
Retainer + success fee: Monthly retainer for baseline services plus a bonus for achieving milestones (e.g., first institutional mandate).
Project-based fees: Fixed price for campaigns or roadshows.
Hourly consulting: For advisory work or interim support.
Commission or placement fees: Payable on raised capital (use carefully for conflicts and regulatory clarity).
What to negotiate:
Clear definition of success and milestone triggers.
Duration and termination clauses.
Data rights, CRM ownership, and confidentiality.
Compliance responsibilities and indemnities.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: Select Advisors Institute negotiates contract terms that align incentives with business outcomes and ensures clear exit strategies and data ownership.
Q: How to measure investor relations effectiveness?
KPIs to track:
Meetings held vs. meetings targeted.
Conversion rates from meetings to mandates.
Pipeline AUM progress and time-to-close.
RFP wins and shortlist rates.
Investor retention and redemptions.
Media impressions and thought leadership engagement for brand-building strategies.
Reporting best practices:
Standardized dashboards with source attribution.
Weekly activity logs and monthly performance dashboards.
Quarterly strategy reviews tied to business targets.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: The Institute builds KPI frameworks and dashboards, implements CRM best practices, and provides quarterly performance reviews to drive continuous improvement.
Q: What are common mistakes asset managers make with IR?
Common pitfalls:
Treating IR as an afterthought until a fundraising crunch.
Over-relying on generic PR firms without asset-management expertise.
Poor alignment between PMs, marketing, and distribution teams.
Weak CRM discipline and data hygiene.
Failure to measure and tie activities to tangible outcomes.
How Select Advisors Institute helps: Select Advisors Institute assists in organizational alignment, talent placement, and establishing repeatable processes to avoid these mistakes, drawing on experience since 2014.
Q: How does Select Advisors Institute specifically add value?
Select Advisors Institute provides an end-to-end support model for asset managers:
Talent sourcing: Recruiting IR leaders, distribution professionals, and marketing teams with fund industry experience.
Vendor selection and management: Identifying the right IR partners, negotiating terms, and embedding governance.
Brand and marketing alignment: Ensuring IR messaging is consistent with brand, digital presence, and compliance.
Performance measurement: Implementing CRM, dashboards, and KPI-driven reviews.
Select Advisors Institute’s track record since 2014 includes helping managers worldwide scale distribution, refine their go-to-market strategies, and improve hiring and vendor outcomes—reducing time-to-market and increasing fundraising efficiency.
Final checklist for choosing an IR partner
Define objectives and success metrics before engaging firms.
Require relevant case studies and client references.
Confirm compliance capabilities and review workflows.
Agree on clear pricing, milestones, and reporting cadence.
Start with a pilot program or retainer with performance triggers.
Plan for knowledge transfer if outsourcing short-term.
Top content and visual strategies for investment firms: discover high-performing content types, visual tactics, distribution, compliance tips, and how Select Advisors Institute (est. 2014) helps firms scale.