We chatted with Guiseppe Iademarco at Cognolink about this role and what advice he has for those that may wish to follow in his footsteps.
Tell us about your role as Team Leader at Cognolink
By finding people who have first-hand knowledge of industries my clients might have only a basic understanding of, I can help them make smarter investment decisions and hopefully sleep better at night as a result! I manage a team of Analysts and Associates, and together we deal with multiple projects, covering a variety of markets globally.
As Team Leader of the Global Equities Team in London, I help analysts and fund managers at some of the world's most sophisticated hedge funds find the answers to questions regarding companies in which they have invested considerable amounts of capital.
How did your career begin?
I started at Cognolink after completing my masters at the LSE. I actually I got the job offer the day after I handed in my final dissertation! I joined as a Research Analyst in the Energy & Industrials team in London. After less than a year I was promoted to Senior Associate and then seconded to our Shanghai office, where I spent six months before returning to London and achieving the Team Leader promotion.
I help analysts and fund managers at some of the world's most sophisticated hedge funds find the answers to questions regarding companies in which they have invested considerable amounts of capital.
What has been the most interesting project you've worked on to date?
Possibly stereotypical due to my background, but the most interesting project I have worked on to date was on Italy and the solar sector. The client was a US hedge fund who came to us needing insight on the impact of new regulations on solar cell manufacturers. We arranged seven meetings for our clients as part of a 2-day trip to Milan and Rome, with senior executives at the main solar power plant developers, bankers experienced in financing such projects, and representatives from Italy's energy services regulatory bodies.
I manage our relationships with some of Europe's largest hedge funds.
We even found a conference for the client to attend, where he could put questions directly to the Minister of Economic Development about the latest on Italy's planned changes around renewable energy subsidies!
What is best thing about your current job?
The best thing about my current job is that it is very rich with a range of responsibilities. I have P&L responsibility for my team and I manage our relationships with some of Europe's largest hedge funds. So I monitor the execution on projects for my clients on a daily basis, while also setting longer-term strategies for my accounts and ensuring the development of my team.
And the hardest part?
I guess the exhilaration derived from the scope of the Team Leader role can sometimes turn into a feeling of being overwhelmed! The way I tackle this is by planning ahead and dividing longer-term objectives into monthly or weekly tasks, so that even the most challenging goals can be achieved a step at a time.
In brief, describe your average working day (if it exists!)
I get to the office between 8:00 and 8:30 and read the FT so that I can get an overview of what's going on in the markets. Then I set the priorities for my team before the daily check-in with the other Team Leaders. The rest of the morning is never the same as sometimes I interview candidates, other times I meet with my team to review their progress on client projects.
Lunch is usually spent with colleagues somewhere along Charlotte Street which is near our offices in London's Fitzrovia - we have plenty of great places to choose from! The rest of the day is spent either meeting clients or managing projects for my team's top accounts. Of course both morning and afternoon are interrupted by much-needed Nespresso breaks!
What skills are essential for your role?
It is essential to have a genuine interest in businesses and industries, otherwise you won’t enjoy this role.
You also need to be articulate when speaking to C-level executives; likewise with clients, you need to inspire them with confidence when you are presenting your findings and recommendations on projects. Finally, you need to be naturally driven as it's an extremely competitive industry, which makes the job all the more exciting!
What advice would you give someone who's looking to work for Cognolink?
I would say research the company well and try to understand not just whatwe do, but why we do it. Why do our clients need us?
In doing so, you will come up with a lot of questions so use them to turn the interview from a dry Q&A session into an intellectually stimulating conversation about our industry, our company, and where you could fit within it.
One thing you wish you'd known when starting out
I wish I knew more about our clients and what kind of impact you can have from the very first day. It is easy to focus on the micro aspects of the role and miss the bigger picture of what you are doing and how you can make a difference.