Plan for Succession

The study also pointed out an investment management trend towards succession planning among high-level managers. Especially after a long run in an extremely lucrative bull market, the tribulations of the current economic slowdown have wearied many managers, according to the study.

Although compensation and the fluidity of the job market have clearly been affected, investment management professionals, while not utterly immune to layoffs, have not been profoundly affected, Wilbanks said. "If you look across that list of the largest 300 money managers, the core functions of sales marketing [and] portfolio management are still by and large not deeply affected," he said.

After the frenzy of the past few years to get comprehensive e-commerce programs up and running, some e-commerce executives may receive a "rude awakening," the report said. While those who had seen compensation double will likely see those figures return to a more realistic level, those who had departed for the rough-and-tumble world of the dot-com may look to return to the stability of clicks and bricks.

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Money Management Executive
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