FOR RELEASE
February 7, 2008

CONTACT
Kate Hendrickson
303.850.3079

IMCA Conducts First-ever Job Analysis of Investment Management Consultants

DENVER—February 7, 2008—Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) recently conducted the first-ever job analysis of investment management consultants. The purpose of the analysis was to measure and describe investment management consultants’ relevant job duties in an effort to augment IMCA’s educational offerings.

The results of the analysis provided the association with an accurate depiction of its members, defining Certified Investment Management Analyst^SM or CIMA^® designees as providing objective investment advice and guidance to both individuals and institutions. It was determined that CIMA professionals apply state-of-the-art investment theory and integrate a complex body of investment knowledge systematically and ethically to assist clients in making prudent financial decisions.

IMCA also was able to identify and better-understand the most relevant job-related tasks for investment management consultants. The CIMA certification process will be enhanced by these tasks, which fall into five core areas: modern portfolio theory, investment policy, measurement and selection of managers, advanced investment topics, and ethics and law.

“The findings of this analysis allow us to hone-in on the next steps for the CIMA designation,” said Dede Pahl, executive director at IMCA. “Now that we better understand the demographics of our members and their specific day-to-day responsibilities, we can move forward with an improved process.”

IMCA worked with Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc., out of Olathe, KS, to design and conduct the study, and appointed a Job Analysis Committee to identify and assess investment management consultants’ primary responsibilities.

To review the executive summary of the job analysis, click here. 

For more information on IMCA and the CIMA designation, visit www.IMCA.org.

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Survey methodology:
Surveys were e-mailed to 6,453 individuals. Six hundred forty-six subjects returned completed surveys in time for analysis and 326 e-mails were undeliverable. The corrected response rate was 10.5 percent. Responses to the demographic questions indicated that there were sufficient numbers from relevant groups for subsequent analyses.

The typical respondent worked in investment management for a national securities firm as a personal investment consultant. The average total amount of client assets under advisement was between 50 and 150 million dollars distributed across a median number of 108 clients. The typical respondent was a white male between 40 and 49 years of age with 10 to 19 years of investment management experience.

An executive summary of the analysis and demographic information is available to full-time editors and reporters by contacting Beau Ballinger, IMCA’s corporate communications manager, at bballinger@imca.org.