The Power of Pivoting with Jan van Eck

Rosemont Roundtable: Exploring the Business of Investment Management

In this episode of the Global Investment Leaders podcast, Chas Burkhart, CEO of Rosemont, sat down for a conversation with Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck, a roughly $90 billion* multi-asset firm headquartered in New York. Founded in 1955 by Jan's father, John van Eck, VanEck has gradually diversified, with the ETF business becoming dominant since its inception in 2006. Their conversation covers Jan's leadership evolution, the importance of culture and building strong teams, the strategic focus on the ETF business and the importance of being able to pivot in the rapidly changing financial services space.

Specifically, Chas and Jan discuss:

• The evolution of VanEck over its nearly 70-year history, from a pioneering gold business to a diversified provider of niche investment offerings.
• Jan's role as CEO and the growth of VanEck as a leader in the industry, including the importance of focusing on personal and organizational strengths.
• The culture at VanEck, highlighting the importance of hiring industry experts and the resilience fostered by the tolerance for cyclicality in resource-based businesses, leading to a remarkably low turnover rate.
• VanEck's approach to growing and pivoting the ETF business, including their two phases of product design and the current shift towards a more distribution-oriented industry.
• The role of performance in driving investor sentiment and flows, and how market direction, whether income or equity-oriented, plays a crucial role in decision-making.
• Identifying industry disruptors and VanEck's positioning in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.
• The broader industry trend of consolidation through mergers and acquisitions, and the benefits of being a private, employee-owned company with a long-term perspective.

Overall, this episode highlights a business-minded leader who understands the importance of firm culture, building a strong team and taking strategic risks.

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*As of February 7, 2024, VanEck manages approximately $90 billion in assets.