The next instalment of our Rising Stars series sees Binary Capital portfolio manager Amir Miah speak to ETF Stream about why fund management needs more diversity and his biggest role models.
Miah has been at Binary Capital for six years, joining the business after he graduated from the University of Nottingham with masters in finance and investment.
How did you get into fund selection?
Although I have always been very interested in and fascinated by investment markets, it’s not something I thought I would ever be doing as a day job, and I would say I fell into the job by luck. After finishing my master’s at the University of Nottingham, a mentor who I knew very well offered me a junior position at a new firm he was setting up, which happened to be Binary Capital. I was, in fact, the second employee, so it has been fantastic to play a significant role in the build-out and scale-up of a wealth management business.
What is your role within your team?
I am responsible for the management of Binary Capital’s investment proposition alongside my colleagues. I work on all areas of our proposition, such as meeting fund managers and selecting products, forming our asset allocation views and frameworks, and sitting in our investment committee meetings as a key decision maker. Binary Capital works with financial advisers on outsourced model portfolios, but a growing trend is in our partnership portfolios, where I support the construction and implementation of tailored portfolios specifically built for advisory businesses and I play a significant role in all aspects of portfolio management for these propositions.
What kind of investor are you?
I am a long-term, high-conviction, multi-asset investor with an absolute return mindset. I am also focused on delivering good end-client outcomes through our robust risk management structure. I take a macro-aware approach with bottom-up thinking. I am not a trader and do not take short-term tactical trades, as I believe timing markets is very difficult and not an area where we can add value. I am interested in all asset classes, styles, themes, and vehicles. I look across the full product universe to construct and manage what we believe is the very best in portfolio management for our clients.
Who are your biggest role models?
A big shoutout to my seniors, John and Saftar Sawar, CIO of Binary Capital, for mentoring me into the person I am today. I am hugely grateful for their support over the six years I have been with Binary Capital. I am also grateful for the time spent with all the fund managers I have spoken to over the years, as I have learned much from speaking with some of the very best investment professionals based in the UK.
What is a particular area of interest or something you enjoy within ETFs?
I think ETFs are great. Who would not want the added benefits of intraday pricing and liquidity, as well as better transparency on underlying holdings. Also, the product availability is so vast so I often find that where there is no alternative exposure available in the open-ended universe, you can usually find what you are looking for in the ETF space.
Where is a further development needed within the fund selection space?
More diversity is needed within the fund selection space. The space lacks cross-sectional diversity, resulting in homogeneous thinking. I happened to fall into the industry by luck, but I hope others from unconventional backgrounds can break into the industry on merit.
What do you do when you are not managing portfolios?
In my spare time, I am involved in charity work, currently holding the role of treasurer at a local charity based in King's Cross. I am a passionate advocate of social mobility and supporting disadvantaged young people. I also enjoy cycling, cooking for family and friends, exploring the outdoors and keeping updated on investment markets.
