Become the change you want - Gandhi

Mr. Asim is the Chief Investment Officer at NBP Funds. Asim has over 16 years of diverse experience in the areas of Research, Portfolio Management, Equity, and Fixed Income. He has worked with NBP Funds for over 6 years.Prior to Joining NBP Funds, he worked as Head of Investment Strategy and Equities at UBL Fund Managers. Prior to joining UBL Funds, Mr. Asim was Head of Equities at NBP Funds responsible for all equity related funds’ performance. During his stay, all equity related funds consistently ranked in top tier generating significant outperformance against the market and peer group. In total, he has eight (8) years of experience in Fund Management. Mr. Asim also has eight (8) years of experience on the sell side, where he was Deputy Head of Research at Foundation Securities. His nature of job provided the edge and experience of modelling all the key sectors in Pakistan’s stock market. He was also involved in analysis and valuation of key M&A transactions such as the $775mn acquisition of British Petroleum assets by UEP which added to his expertise on oil and gas companies. Mr Asim has done Bachelors (BBA) and Masters (MBA) from Institute of Business Administration (IBA) with majors in finance. He is also a CFA Charter holder.

How you organize, plan, and prioritize your work?

In the age of technology, social media, and constantly rising information flow, focus and clarity of thought is the casualty. An organized mind is critical for focused and clear decision making, be it for investments or your routine life. I have my tasks list (objectives) clearly defined and prioritized from critical to trivial, from the time and effort needed, and urgency of the tasks. This list is stacked against the available resources which results in a clear picture of what is realistically achievable and what isn’t. Technology can be used to advantage here as several organizing and planning tools are available which can save a lot of time and effort. Just make sure you are using the technology, and not the other way around.

How do you measure your performance?

Performance has to be measured against clearly defined benchmarks. Since my and my team’s tasks and objectives are clearly defined, it is easy to measure and evaluate what we were able to achieve and where we lacked. Deviation from benchmarks are discussed and plan is formulated for corrective action. Both quantitative and qualitative tools are used for performance measurement and evaluation.

Any important advice that you would like to give to investors?

Patience and discipline is key to investing. Always have your goals and objectives defined clearly and realistically and plan your investments accordingly. Keep occasional track of your investments and don’t be bothered by day to day market movements. Best to spend that precious time in self-development or with your family and loved ones.

Who has been your biggest influence, and how have they affected you?

My father. He is probably the most knowledgeable, wise, and organized person I have come across and I am lucky to be his son. Every sitting session with him leaves me a touch wiser. He has inspired me to become a better individual by improving my own knowledgebase and thinking process.