AFTAs 2019: Best Analytics Initiative—Janus Henderson Investors

Data may be everywhere these days, but the ability to tap into what it all means is the true differentiator. Asset manager Janus Henderson’s efforts to do so landed the London-headquartered firm the title of best analytics initiative in this year’s AFTAs for its Portfolio Construction and Strategy (PCS) portal.

“A decade ago, clients were happy to get their hands on whatever data they could,” says Adam Hetts, head of portfolio construction and strategy at Janus Henderson. “As time has gone on, the bigger challenge is: How do you take all these internal and external sources of data and portfolio analysis our clients are receiving, and help them make sense of it?”

The PCS initiative was rolled out in 2015, originally licensing third-party software. But it was cumbersome, rigid and not particularly scalable—it was used by only five of the company’s employees. The team, in close partnership with the firm’s technology group, embarked on a mission to build its own solution from scratch.

The outcome was the portal, which was rolled out early this year, and now boasts 75 users, including Hetts’ team of portfolio strategists and the US sales team. The output combines unique analytics with proprietary insights from the team into client-tailored presentations. “The build allows us to give the white-glove, deep consultations for the appropriate situations, but it also provides the ability for our broader sales force to leverage the software and the system and provide clients with sophisticated, customized reports, regardless of whether or not they’re interacting with my team directly,” Hetts says.

Since introducing the portal, Janus Henderson has generated about 10,000 custom client-facing reports. In 2020, Hetts and his team have plans to launch the platform globally, enhance its US output, and focus on more niche investment categories, including fixed income and alternatives.