Global advisory, corporate development and executive search firm Jensen Partners has aligned with Context Capital Partners LP to launch Context Jensen Partners.
The new company will strategically address the obstacles faced by alternative asset managers who are focused on growing assets in an increasingly competitive fundraising environment.
Context Capital Partners (Context), a seeding firm focused on alternative investment strategies, is now a stakeholder in Jensen Partners (Jensen), which combines a customised, scientific approach with the proprietary 360° Investor Referencing Methodology and advanced behavioural analytics to source and recruit leading capital-raising executives and provide strategic consulting services for clients. This trademarked methodology examines the asset-raising track record of every candidate that registers with Context Jensen Partners. It examines how a candidate raises money, and how efficiently he/she communicates as a marketer and understands his/her allocator's diversified portfolio. This methodology grants Context Jensen Partners' hedge fund and private equity clients access to an allocator's perceptions of exactly how a marketer understands its risk-adjusted returns and overall portfolio strategy.
Context Jensen Partners has become a key player in the alternative investment space at a time when the demand for institutional investor knowledge, sophisticated product expertise and effective business development professionals has never been greater. Through the partnership, Jensen will be better positioned to deliver intelligence on the investor mindset, improve placements and access operational support. The alignment also will allow the firm to expand its service offering and reach a broader network of asset allocators. In addition, the strategic relationship provides Context with an internal recruiter and consultant for the emerging and established managers it serves.
Context Jensen Partners has employed 16 people across the US and Europe who are dedicated to market research, business development and candidate research. The company has tracked over 1,500 asset-raising moves across all alternatives in the US and Europe over the last two years, enabling Context Jensen Partners to follow asset allocation trends. The firm currently has mapped over 5,000 pages of competitor intelligence, market-mapping every distribution organisation within hedge funds, private equity, private fund groups, long-only asset managers, and prime brokerage—providing daily real-time information on distribution hiring at each of these firms. The research team at Context Jensen Partners is composed of eight professionals, and is continually growing its Big Data offering for clients by expanding the breadth and depth of its coverage in the alternative asset management space.
"We have helped funds raise billions of dollars through the placement of the right capital-raising candidates. Context Jensen Partners has an extensive track record of filling critical marketing and business development roles, case studies demonstrate the success of the professionals we have recruited. Some of these placements have resulted in multi-billion-dollar mandates and assets raised," says Sasha Jensen, (pictured) CEO and Co-Founder of Context Jensen Partners. "We are dedicated to identifying and securing the most qualified individuals to raise capital for our clients, using proprietary techniques to mine data and monitor the broader industry in ways not possible for most competitors."
Jensen's business model departs from the typical candidate résumé database and peer references, relying instead on a broad base of deep relationships with investors which help the company identify candidates' total asset-raising track records. The firm also conducts rigorous face-to-face assessments to deepen the understanding of each candidate. Finally, Jensen undertakes an in-depth due diligence review, determining how each client defines success while taking into consideration performance benchmarks, culture and shared values. Through formal and informal follow-ups and performance checks, Jensen identifies the candidates who best embody the clients' objectives.
"Our methodology is designed to include the behavioral and professional profile of each candidate, going far beyond the surface metrics of skill evaluation and peer referrals used by other placement agencies," adds Jensen. "Our analysis evaluates candidates from the perspective of the investor, allowing us to develop a more nuanced and deeper understanding of distribution capabilities and ensure successful, long-term placements."
Jensen has a long history of cultivating strong and wide-ranging relationships with the broader allocation community, and is now even better connected to investors through its partnership with Context, a seeding firm that has its own far-reaching ties to marketers.
"As a seeding firm that serves as a partner for fund managers, we embrace the new synergy with Jensen," says Ron Biscardi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Context Capital Partners. "As partners to this vital advisory and recruitment organisation, we now have the potential to identify a greater set of opportunities to grow the AUM of funds through the placement of human capital."
