Germany now has 2.2 million millionaires, which equates to 16% of the total number from Europe. The number of millionaires in the country has jumped by 95.7% between 2010 and 2019 (thelocal.de) - given this, it’s no surprise to learn that Germany's top three investment management companies DWS, Allianz Global Investors and Union Investment control over €1.5tn worth of assets (statista.com).
With existing investment firms dominating the market, new firms entering the market will need to find unique and innovative ways of operating if they are to succeed. A report by EY shows that 37% of German private banking investors have changed their wealth managers in the last three years and 33% plan to do so over the next three. Though this shift is happening across all wealth levels, it’s more obvious among the wealthiest investors and the younger age group, such as millennial's (age 21–37). To create new strategies and find new opportunities by offering innovative products and customer service, wealth managers need to understand why investors switch and, crucially, who they switch to. The key to attracting these individuals is peer-to-peer interaction, low cost, transparency, and thematic investing, including social impact initiatives. UBS, an established management firm is attempting to attract millennial's by trying their hand at technology, partnering with Amazon to provide investment advice through their virtual voice activated assistant Alexa.
With so many different financial products and a growing need for people with in-depth knowledge of geographic regions, most industry analysts expect strong employment growth in investment management to continue midway into the next decade. According to BVI chairman Thomas Richter, “The big picture for the German funds industry is that assets under management have doubled over the past decade, and that growth is ongoing.” It’s a good time to work in investment management, particularly if you’re tech savvy.
Our Berlin based consultants are specialists in their markets, recruiting top talent for organisations in the investment management sector throughout Germany and the rest of Europe.
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