“We simplify the complex” is the statement of Ventum Group, the new player that has just entered the Chilean multifamily office scene. The new MFO has been created by five partners whose common denominator is having held positions of responsibility at Inversiones Security.
Felipe Marín, CFA and Executive Vice President, in exclusive statements to Funds Society, explains his value proposition in a market as competitive as the Chilean one but which, in his opinion, remains anchored in offering traditional investment advice.
“We believe that the market still works in traditional investment advice, but reality shows that families require much more in-depth services in matters of governance, structure, management, control, project evaluation, among others,” he says.
Comprehensive solution proposal
In this way, their value proposition is to offer a complete and coordinated solution. Our vision is that families and family offices that require this type of services first require a comprehensive solution. Many times they have several advisors who optimize their part, but it does not end up being a coordinated solution. Our role, in addition to investments, is to be able to understand the motivations and structure with which each family works and establish together with them the most efficient way to reach a comprehensive solution,” explains Marín.
In addition, the executive points out the high cost of maintaining a quality internal structure for many families and the limited scope of the offer available today.
“Many families and family offices, both locally and internationally, face a scenario where maintaining a quality internal investment structure is very expensive, but unfortunately the current multi-family offer fails to meet their needs and they only reach a financial relationship. Ventum Group is positioned as the investment management that is required, with true investment specialists, and in conditions much more favorable than those faced when setting up their own structures,” he explains.
As an example, he cites the need his clients face when designing an alternative investment program: “Although they are increasingly positioning themselves more strongly in portfolios, being able to design a good investment program, diversified by strategy and vintage, is key to portfolio harmony. Today, the industry offers a high availability of products, but it is equally important to be able to organize a disciplined investment program in this area and that has been very well received by our clients,” explains the executive.
A multidisciplinary team with high capabilities
Thus, its main competitive advantage is having been able to assemble a team with the necessary capabilities to meet this opportunity.
“Ventum Group was born as a team of specialists in different subjects, with a team where there are more than five partners who fulfilled the role of investment and/or finance managers in large national and international companies and in single family offices. Today we have a team that has PHDs, CFAs and all with post-graduate degrees in finance. These capabilities are not easily found in the current offer within the market,” says the executive.
The current Ventum Group team is made up of professionals of recognized prestige in the local industry, whose president is Carlos Budge, Ph.D., who was Managing Director, Investment Manager and Asset Management of the Security Group for more than 17 years. For his part, Felipe Marín, CFA, holds the position of Executive Vice President and worked for the Security group for more than 10 years, his last position being that of investment director from June 2018 to April 2020.
The rest of the structure is made up of two Managing Partners: José Quiroga, CFA and Gustavo Schmincke, who have also held positions of responsibility within the Security group. Finally, Jorge Marín, holds the position of director, is currently a partner at C-Group Executive search & consulting and has worked for more than 18 years for the Zurich insurance group in Latin America. Marín also anticipates that an investment manager from a family office will join the team in a few days.
“Ventum’s origin is based on a team of senior executives, investment specialists, who have been working at Inversiones Security for more than 10 years together. We have incorporated partners to this base that allow us to strengthen our asset management capabilities, but above all with regard to governments and family structures and investments in real businesses,” he adds. Although they are currently focused on the multifamily offices segment, they do not rule out other forms of growth and consequently expand the team with professionals with similar ethical profiles.
“We are convinced that we have the capacity to support families in a way that probably no one else in the market has ever proposed, and as long as we continue to fulfill that goal, our growth plans and team will continue to be fulfilled as a result. The people who join us must continue to comply with the ethical and technical principles and the model of having the client as our top priority. In any case, for now we are focused on strengthening the multi-family service, although we are not closed to evaluating other forms of growth,” concludes Marín.