ARGON ASSET MANAGEMENT
an African investment management firm with global standards. Since we started operating in April 2005, we have been crystal clear on what it is we want to achieve: investment success on behalf of our clients,” he explains. “There were a number of us that came into this business together, all essentially black investment professionals who have been in the industry for many years and had built certain profiles and reputations, seeing the opportunity to participate in this space. We believe that in a dynamic environment such as this, diversity is key and that it can be a source of advantage. We have certainly embraced this as a firm.” As Seseli continues, Argons’ progress has been guided by a firm set of principles designed to guarantee success at every turn.
“There are a number of pillars that uphold what we do, foremost among which are our global standards to which we always adhere. In addition, we strive to deliver beyond the benchmark; we are a wealth generating power. The third key element is recognising the value of the relationships we have with clients and the broader stakeholder community. “Without the trust we have, those relationships cannot exist, and so we continue to spend a significant amount of time and effort developing them and only then comes this trust. Finally, transformation is the all-important ability to recognise that our environment is increasingly a fastmoving and global one, and so we have to be adaptable and able to transform rapidly.”
We spoke with Investment Management CEO Manas Bapela, who began by taking us through the steps that have led him to his current position. “My background is as a mathematician, primarily at the University of Pretoria having returned from the USA from my undergraduate studies,” he says. “After some years of teaching at this institution I moved to Standard Bank Treasury as a Quantative Analyst, and then spent about eight years with a different asset management firm before being recruited by Argon Asset Management, initially as Head of Multi Asset Class. I went on to become their Chief Investment Officer, and this April I was made CEO while retaining my position as CFO.” Bapela details that, while
www.enterprise-africa.net / 17