Cohesion at Platinum (Video)

Having introduced the ideas of Ben Darwin around ‘cohesion’ and its impact on teams, this video looks at the journey of Platinum’s investment team over the last 23 years. Ben analysed Platinum’s investment team in the same way he has looked at hundreds of sporting teams around the world, and the results were impressive.

Platinum’s evolution can be seen in three key phases. Initially, in 1994, the team was small, and dominated by experience gained at BT, before the business started to form its own culture. This can be described as ‘borrowed cohesion’ and often leads to a very strong start, before it can quickly fade away. Platinum managed to avoid this pitfall, but in the rapid growth phase post 2000, there was expansion in the team and much of the early intimacy was diluted.

The latest phase for Platinum was heralded with the reorganisation of the analyst team around 2011-2012 into small teams and this has seen a pick-up in intensity of idea flow from the investment team.

In this 15 minute video, Andrew Clifford (CIO), Clay Smolinski and Nik Dvornak (Portfolio Managers) talk through how the investment team has evolved, the philosophy behind the way they operate, and acknowledge some of the challenges that have been faced along the way.  We think this is a worthwhile way to get a deeper understanding of the ‘Platinum Way’.

DISCLAIMER: The above information is commentary only (i.e. our general thoughts). It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, investment advice. To the extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage as a result of any reliance on this information. Before making any investment decision you need to consider (with your financial adviser) your particular investment needs, objectives and circumstances. The above material may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Platinum Investment Management Limited.