40: Boutique Founder to $5B CEO to Boutique Founder Again: Adrian Clayton of Northstar Asset Management| The Business of Building an Investment Boutique| How Science, Art and Heart Play a Role in Investment Success

Imagine this: you've sold your biz and landed what many would consider their dream job at a multi-billion dollar firm. It’s secure and you’re coasting at the top of your game. 

Now, imagine what it would take to trade it all in to leap back into the great unknown of entrepreneurship and build a boutique from scratch. 

Guts. That’s what. Today’s guest, Adrian Clayton, had the guts to leap back into entrepreneurship when an unexpected tragedy shook him and reminded him of what his heart wanted all along - to sit in the founder’s seat again. 

Listen in as Adrian and Stacy discuss: 

• His backstory - From fresh-faced and hungry for a break in the investment world to chasing his passion and building Northstar Asset Management 
• The Three Pillar Business Model for success in financial management: Operational excellence, investment management skills, and the distribution market, and why they’re important
• The secret to striking a balance between the two key components of investment management risk-taking and risk management

About Adrian Clayton:

Adrian joined the asset management industry in 1995 and has acted in the capacity of analyst, portfolio manager, CIO, board member, and CEO over his career.  

After 13 years of successfully managing the top performing PSG Balanced fund as well as being the CEO of PSG Asset Management, he reluctantly decided to resign in late 2012 as a rare opportunity arose to acquire Northstar Asset Management.    

Since then, Adrian has been following his dream of building a long-only, research-driven specialist asset manager with a powerful global skill-set.  Northstar has grown from R600m to R9bn or $500m over this time period, it now has a deep research DNA with a full research team working within the business.

Adrian has a commercial background with a Masters in Finance and Strategy.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Books: Into Thin Air by John Krakauer, Red Notice by Bill Browder