Leadership in Asset Management: Why presence matters again

Hybrid working was undoubtedly one of the few positive shifts to come out of the pandemic. Even traditionally conservative areas of asset management, especially product, investment operations and oversight functions, have become more open to flexibility, including for senior hires.

What we are now seeing, however, is the pendulum is swinging back, and quickly.

Across the buyside, leadership roles are being scrutinised more heavily than at any point in the past decade. While many of us (me included) strongly support hybrid work as part of a modern, progressive workforce strategy, the reality on the ground is that Asset Management firms are once again insisting that their leaders are meaningfully present in the office.

This isn’t a subjective opinion, but what I’m seeing every single week in our market.

The “midweek maestro” roles are all but gone.

Whilst there is no shortage of senior candidates who would prefer the classic Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday commute pattern into the city, across management, senior leadership, and board-level searches, I haven’t seen a single firm agree to that level of limited presence recently.

This trend mirrors the wider commentary across the industry and beyond. The Financial Times, Bloomberg, Business Insider, and The Economist have all reported on the renewed push for in-office leadership across global financial services, driven by the need to improve culture, performance, cohesion, and productivity.

So why this shift?

Simply put, leaders need to orchestrate the rhythm of the Business. Department heads and functional leaders often manage multiple teams with different office days. Hybrid has created fragmentation.

Firms want leaders who set the tempo, create rhythm and momentum and, crucially, drive those micro-moments of alignment you can only get face-to-face. This is not about presenteeism but increased accessibility, visibility, and influence.

Impromptu interactions still matter

Asset management is a highly cross-functional environment. The “water-cooler moments that were once lauded by business experts still exists. Those spontaneous conversations, quick decisions, fast escalations and real-time collaboration bring a competitive advantage in Asset Management.

Don’t get me wrong, remote tools help, but they don’t replace immediacy.

Cultural stewardship Is harder remotely

Boards and ExCo teams increasingly emphasise culture, mentorship, and leadership presence. There has been lots of press coverage over the past 12 months continually highlighting that firms believe “culture is easier to transmit in person” and they genuinely expect senior leaders to be active custodians of it.

Efficiency pressures are intensifying

As firms continue to push for operational efficiency and performance gains, the scrutiny on leadership effectiveness has increased. Many believe that greater in-person presence tightens execution and accelerates delivery.

Hybrid roles aren’t gone.

This does not mean a return to five days in the office. Most firms are reasonable as regards their employee value proposition. But for senior hires, expectations are now commonly: 3–4 days a week in the office as a baseline. This is simply where the market has moved.

Please don’t shoot the Messenger but be realistic. There are exceptional leaders who thrive in remote environments. Many have adapted brilliantly and work hard on culture and communications from home. But if your next move is into a leadership position within the buyside, whether management, functional head, or board-level, you should anticipate being more office-present than most of your teams.

This not about preference but market reality.

And as firms continue to evolve their post-pandemic operating models, leadership presence is becoming a defining differentiator once again.

So please don’t disconnect from me on LinkedIn. 😀 Why not leave a comment with your thoughts on this article, or even better, drop me an inmail and we can have a chat about your next career move.