39: $200B Asset Management CIO Bill Harding on the Importance of Qualitative Due Diligence | Why Culture is a Source of Alpha | “Ask an Allocator” Session

Get a glimpse inside the mind of an allocator in part 1 of our Ask an Allocator series. Today, you’ll hear from Bill Harding, CIO of Jackson National, with $29.8B directly managed fund-of-fund assets. 

Listen in as Bill and Stacy discuss:

• Bill’s Backstory - from a financial analyst at a cheese manufacturer to CIO at Jackson National
• What it takes for a fund manager to win his nod of approval when pitching a partnership
• Why past performance isn't the whole story when allocators are on the hunt
• The hard-hitting questions you can expect fund buyers to ask (spoiler alert: it’s not quantitative!).

About Bill Harding:

Bill joined JNAM as Head of Investment Management in October 2012, and

oversees the asset allocation and portfolio construction process, sub-adviser monitoring, and manager research.

He was previously Head of Manager Research for Morningstar Inc.’s Investment Management division and has more than 20 years of experience in portfolio management, asset allocation, and manager research while working at JNAM, Morningstar and Leprino Foods Company.

Bill graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. He holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and is a CFA charterholder.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 

Songs: Enter Sandman - Metallica

Books: On Fire by John O’Leary