Blue Chip Issue 81

INVESTMENT
MERGING WITH
MOMENTUM
During the past 11 years, as CEO of Momentum
Global Investment Management in the UK,
Ferdi van Heerden has been involved in many
mergers and acquisitions. Blue Chip speaks
to van Heerden about the company’s latest
acquisition of Seneca Investment Managers Ltd.
Ferdi van Heerden, CEO,
Momentum Global
Investment Management
What are the defining moments of your career?
Opportunities brought along by external approaches and internal
group changes and a “career wanderlust” to take bold chances.
These events were major catalysts in my career:
First was probably pre-university, after planning to do
engineering, I ended up with a Sanlam actuarial scholarship.
Joining Momentum at the start of its growth phase back in 1991
was a key moment in my career. The reverse takeover of the business by
Rand Merchant Bank formed great prospects. The creation of FirstRand
and the acquisition of Southern Life and Sage brought choices and
challenges. And an exciting position in Switzerland and the UK.
The key personal lesson for me is always leave on a good note,
which I have been lucky to do and has opened doors again for me.
Please provide an overview of Momentum Global Investment
Management (MGIM).
MGIM is an integral part of our broader Momentum Investments
business in Momentum Metropolitan, but with a truly global
investment outlook and capability set. MGIM was established in
London in 1998 as the international investment management
arm of Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Ltd. We manage a
wide range of investment solutions for a global roster of retail and
institutional investors (advisors and their clients from South Africa
and the UK as well as global IFAs specifically advising expat clients.)
Over the past decade, we have expanded our range of
solutions across several geographic markets, giving clients,
large and small, the benefit of our outcome-based investing
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