Alpha FMC launches dedicated ETF & indexing practice

Asset and wealth management consultancy Alpha FMC has strengthened its market offering with the launch of a dedicated ETF & Indexing Practice. The new wing has been forged in response to the growing significance of index funds and ETFs and demand for consulting support from clients, and will be led by newly appointed Marc Knowles.

Index exchange-traded funds (ETFs) seek to track a benchmark index like the S&P 500 as closely as possible. They are similar to index mutual funds, however, in this case mutual fund shares can be redeemed at one price each day, the closing net asset value (NAV), index ETFs can be bought and sold throughout the day on a major exchange. With an index ETF, investors gain exposure to numerous securities in a single transaction.

With such high stakes involved in the area of ETFs, demand for external expertise in the sector is high. Responding to this, Alpha FMC, a global asset and wealth management consultancy, has opened a new dedicated exchange traded fund and indexing practice. Alpha’s ETF and indexing practice will help Alpha’s clients develop and implement strategies to benefit from the increase of assets flowing into index strategies and ETFs.

According to a release from the firm, the launch of the new arm represents a “key milestone” in Alpha’s expansion strategy. Since its inception more than 15 years ago, Alpha has grown rapidly; with dedicated practices covering the full asset and wealth management value chain, it is now one of the leading global consulting firms in the industry.

In order to expand the ETF offering, Alpha has appointed Marc Knowles as a Director to lead the practice. Knowles arrives at Alpha from KPMG, where he led the Big Four firm’s ETF dedicated management consulting practice. He started his career at Blackrock iShares, where he was one of the first hires into the European ETF business in 2001. Over the next 13 years, Knowles held multiple senior positions across the product, operations, capital markets and distribution functions, before going on to lead the launch of BMO GAM’s ETF platform in Europe.

Euan Fraser, Alpha FMC UK Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are very excited about the launch of our ETF & Indexing Practice. Exchange Traded Funds and index strategies are increasingly being adopted by asset managers looking to position their businesses for success in the next critical chapter for the industry. Marc has a fantastic reputation in the industry and is a great fit for Alpha. We expect to see strong demand in this space.”

Marc Knowles, Director and Head of ETF & Indexing Practice, added, “Investors continue to allocate assets to low cost index strategies and ETFs that deliver transparency and value for money. Asset managers recognise this and are enhancing their product ranges to deliver their investment insights through lower cost index strategies and ETFs. I believe Alpha is uniquely placed to help its clients realise their ambitions in this space.”