Ryan Crisp, Associate Investment Adviser at LGT Wealth Management signed up as a Career Connect mentor to help students explore and navigate careers within wealth management. He shares his career story so far, his insights on the industry and mentoring experience.
I work with a client base of high-net-worth individuals, families and not-for-profit organisations, servicing their investment and wealth management needs.
A typical day involves reviewing client portfolios and performance – analysing returns & drivers, preparing investment recommendations, and producing supporting materials.
Beyond portfolio work, I spend time meeting with clients to discuss their portfolios & investment needs, meeting with prospective clients to understand their objectives, and engaging with fund managers and investment specialists to stay up to date on market developments and potential investment opportunities for clients.
What I enjoy most is the variety. While there are recurring tasks, no two days are ever quite the same. Markets are constantly changing, whether due to economic developments, company-specific events or geopolitical shifts, and being in a client-facing role means new questions, opportunities and challenges can emerge at any time.
I also enjoy the complexity of constructing and managing multi-asset portfolios. Understanding how different asset classes, investment managers and securities fit together to help achieve a client’s objectives means there’s always something new to learn and another factor to consider.
One of the biggest challenges is staying on top of the constant flow of information that can impact client portfolios, from macroeconomic and geopolitical developments to company-specific and investment-related news. Balancing this with managing client relationships, meeting prospective clients, and delivering day-to-day client outcomes can be challenging.
I’ve increasingly leaned on AI to help navigate this challenge, allowing me to stay on top of information regarding the most relevant markets, companies and asset classes, while freeing up more time to focus on analysis, client relationships and delivering meaningful outcomes for clients.
Technical skills such as investment analysis, portfolio construction and a strong understanding of macroeconomics are fundamental to the role. These skills help inform investment decisions and ensure portfolios are aligned with clients’ objectives and risk profiles.
Equally important are the non-technical skills. Building trust, developing strong relationships and being personable are critical in a client-facing role. The ability to effectively communicate investment ideas and explain complex financial concepts to a diverse range of audiences is essential for delivering good client outcomes.
I somewhat fell into wealth management without much knowledge of what was involved. Coming out of university, I knew I wanted to work in investment, but I didn’t have a strong understanding of the different career paths available. I spoke to various investment professionals across venture capital, private equity and wealth management, which gave me valuable insight into the industry.
Ultimately, I chose wealth management as a way to get my foot in the door and learn as much as possible about investing while working directly with clients. Nearly five years later, I’ve been fortunate to find a career that combines my interest in economics & investment with the opportunity to build meaningful relationships.
If I were starting out again, I’d tell myself not to overthink my long-term career plan and to focus more on getting hands-on experience. Coming out of university, it felt like I needed to map out my entire career with my first job, but in reality, the best way to discover what you enjoy and where your strengths lie is by getting your hands dirty and learning on the job.
Careers are rarely linear, and your interests and skills often develop in ways you don’t expect. My advice would be to stay curious, be open to opportunities, and focus on learning as much as possible rather than worrying about having everything figured out from day one.
I wanted to share my experiences and help students who may be in a similar position to where I was a few years ago. When I was at university and starting my career, I would have found it incredibly valuable to speak with someone working in the industry.
I signed up to be a Career Connect mentor because I wanted to share my experiences and help students who may be in a similar position to where I was a few years ago. When I was at university and starting my career, I would have found it incredibly valuable to speak with someone working in the industry to better understand the different career paths available and what day-to-day roles actually involved.
I’ve really enjoyed the experience so far. It’s rewarding to give back, share what I’ve learned, and have in-depth discussions with people who are genuinely interested in the industry.
It was a pleasure mentoring Rory Mullan. He brought a genuine curiosity about markets and investing, which led to engaging discussions across both career development and investment topics. I really enjoyed our conversations and found the experience rewarding, particularly as we were able to build on our discussions over several sessions and explore different areas in greater depth.
Same as Ever – Morgan Housel. A light read with valuable insights & lessons into both life and investing.
I’m a big football/soccer fan, so I’m a subscriber of The Athletic which produces a lot of fascinating content. They detail a lot of the financial side of the sport in a level of depth I haven’t seen elsewhere, which is particularly fascinating for a finance professional like myself.
Quantum computing – a long-term investment thematic but one which I think could shape the future.
If you’re a university student or early-career professional pursuing a career in investment management and advice, register for Career Connect today and we’ll match you with experienced investors like Whitnie for 1:1 career conversations.
We’re always looking for more great mentors too so if you’re an investor or adviser with a passion for supporting emerging talent, come join us as a mentor. Just one 45-minute virtual conversation could ignite someone’s career!
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Coming out of university, it felt like I needed to map out my entire career with my first job, but in reality, the best way to discover what you enjoy and where your strengths lie is by getting your hands dirty and learning on the job.