San Francisco-based Forward Management is looking to boost it sales and marketing efforts in anticipation of increasing advisor interest for alternative mutual funds.
First, the firm is prepping its second alternative road show, which is designed as half-day seminar, to educate advisors on the benefits of alternative products, according to Alan Reid, founder of Forward Management. The firm, alongside Altegris, Fortigent, Eaton Vance, Guggenheim and J.P. Morgan, is making stops in major markets such as Chicago, Phildelphia, Dallas and New York City within the next few months.
In addition, the firm is looking to hire an institutional wholesaler, a wholesaler covering the Florida region, and a regional digital sales director for a new sales unit that it is putting together to reach advisors via Linkedin, video and other online mediums. The firm has also added three hybrid internal/external holesalers for the Northwest and Mountain states.
On the product development front, Reid mentioned that the firm is exploring multi-strategy and fund of funds. Forward this week launched the
“Managed futures is a significant contributor to diverse return characteristics that advisors are looking for,” Reid told Money Management Executive. “People deserve a way to diversify and have zero correlation. There is a lot of hunger out there for alternative funds.”
