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The Influential Investor

How Investor Behavior is Redefining Performance

The Center for Applied Research (CAR) is an independent think tank that resides at State Street. CAR's current study, The Influential Investor, How Investor Behavior is Redefining Performance, looks at the forces that will shape the future of the investment management industry over the next decade.

Over the course of a 12-month period¹, CAR collected the views of thousands of retail and institutional investors, asset managers, intermediaries and regulators from more than 60 countries. And, after extensive analysis of their responses, one thing became clear: The future of the investment industry will be determined by the actions investors take — healthy or unhealthy, rational or irrational. This is what is meant by the “influential investor.”

But how are investors acting? Why are they behaving that way? Is the industry delivering meaningful value?

Understanding the answers to these questions will be the key to generating sustainable returns in the future. Only then can the industry begin to define the most important word: Performance.

Regional Snapshots

See how key regional areas compare to a global paradigm:

CAR is a global team located across the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa and the Asia Pacific region. CAR selects its research topics based on input from global investment management industry professionals.

This study is based on input from more than 3,300 investment management industry participants across 68 countries. The Center for Applied Research obtained this input through surveys of 2,725 investors, and 403 investment providers and government officials. Surveys were conducted through an online platform in collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit, Scorpio Partnership and TNS Finance Amsterdam. In addition, the Center for Applied Research conducted face-to-face interviews with 200 executives and government officials from around the world to gain qualitative insights.

¹ Twelve-month period ending in November of 2012.

Center for Applied Research

The Center for Applied Research (CAR) conducts targeted research designed to provide clients with strategic insights into issues that will shape the future of the investment industry. Building on the success of State Street Corporation's established Vision thought leadership program, CAR brings together resources within the industry and across State Street to produce timely research on the topics that are most important to investors worldwide.

CAR is an independent think tank that resides at State Street's corporate level and comprises a global team of researchers located across the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa and the Asia Pacific region. CAR selects its research topics based on input from global investment management industry professionals. The 12- to 18-month research studies will include both primary research methods — driven by face-to-face interviews and surveys — and secondary research methods. Research is global in scope and includes topics such as:

Investor behavioral shifts
Asset depth
Asset allocation patterns
Regulatory implications
Fee and alpha analysis
Competitive landscape analysis

CAR can customize delivery approaches, providing company briefings, conferences and multimedia presentations to meet your c-suite and board of director needs at no cost.

If you would like more information about this study or the Center for Applied Research, you can send an e-mail to CenterforAppliedResearch@statestreet.com.

Learn more about The Center for Applied Research, CAR's findings, as well as research insights in the videos below:

Meet the Team

The Center for Applied Research (CAR) is a global team on the hunt for new trends. By assessing new opportunities and creating actionable analysis, this team is rewriting how the industry thinks about the future of investment management.

Kelly J. McKenna
Senior Vice President
Global Head
State Street Center for Applied Research

Kelly McKenna is Global Head, State Street Center for Applied Research overseeing strategy and operations for CAR. Her team is responsible for providing executives with strategic insights into issues that will shape the future of the investment management industry. CAR brings together resources within the financial services industry and across State Street to produce timely research on the topics that are most important to investors worldwide.

McKenna re-joined State Street in 2010, and has more than 25 years of industry sales and sales leadership experience, designing strategic plans for new business development with top institutional clients.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University.
Suzanne L. Duncan
Senior Vice President
Global Head of Research
State Street Center for Applied Research

Suzanne Duncan is responsible for research and thought leadership regarding the investment management industry for State Street's Center for Applied Research. Duncan has presented her research at more than 200 conferences throughout the world and has won multiple awards at conferences, including the Economist Forum and the China International Banking Convention. She is the author of a series of whitepapers and has appeared in over 250 media outlets, including CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and The Economist Magazine. Duncan joined State Street in June 2011 from IBM Corporation where she led research for the financial markets industry. Duncan spent the beginning of her career at both Bank of America as well as State Street, where she worked in institutional asset management sales and in the custody division.
- Vanessa Forero
  Senior Research Analyst
  State Street Center for Applied Research
- Nicola Roemer, PMP
  Research Manager
  State Street Center for Applied Research
- Nidhi V. Shandilya, CFA
  Assistant Vice President
  Senior Research Strategist
  State Street Center for Applied Research

Sharing our Research

As a thought leader for the investment management industry, The Center for Applied Research is committed to sharing our findings with the global community. The current research will be presented at the following events:

- Date
- Event
- Location
- April 17, 2013
- SSgA European Insights 2013
- London, England
- April 24, 2013
- Endowment & Foundation Dinner
- Boston, MA, USA
- May 2, 2013
- Investment Adviser Association, Annual CEO Conference
- New Orleans, LA, USA
- May 6, 2013
- Brinker Capital Advisors Conference
- San Diego, CA, USA
- May 7, 2013
- 2013 WMS Client Event
- Boston, MA, USA
- May 17, 2013
- Official Institutions Conference
- Boston, MA, USA
- May 20, 2013
- CFA Institute Annual Conference
- Singapore
- June 4, 2013
- Women's Executive Dinner Series
- Boston, MA, USA
- September 24, 2013
- Women's Executive Dinner Series
- New York City, NY, USA

Partnerships

Through partnerships with Boston University Center for Finance, Law & Policy and The Fletcher School, Tufts University, The Center for Applied Research continues to serve as a thought leader for the investment management industry.

The Boston University Center for Finance, Law & Policy

The Boston University Center for Finance, Law & Policy is an interdisciplinary, collaborative unit that engages the component schools and colleges of the University, as well as experts from business, economic development and government to address today’s critical financial, regulatory and policy challenges.
The Fletcher School/Tufts University

The Sovereign Wealth Fund Initiative (SWFI) is a leading independent forum on global investment and sovereign wealth management housed at the Center for Emerging Market Enterprises (CEME) at The Fletcher School/Tufts University. SWFI’s mission is to identify, analyze, and frame solutions for the issues and challenges of Sovereigns and other large global institutional investors while facilitating dialog and independent thinking between and among public and private sector investors. As a leading educational institution, SWFI provides world-class educational resources to expand the capacity of SWFs, other official institutions, and global investors to develop human capital.