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Aberdeen Asset Management
Aberdeen Asset Management, co-founded by Martin Gilbert in 1983, was a global long-only manager with £320B peak AUM, merging with Standard Life in 2017.
Aberdeen Asset Management
Aberdeen Asset Management offers financial planning, investment management, and wealth management services to individuals and institutional clients. The company provides services including retirement planning, investment advice, and wealth management. It offers financial support and investment products such as investment trusts, self-invested personal pensions, and stocks and shares ISAs.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
1983
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
Corporate office
London, United Kingdom
Additional offices
Denver, Colorado, United States · Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Principals
Martin Gilbert
Co-Founder and Former Chief Executive Officer
Bill Rattray
Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who ran investment decisions at Aberdeen Asset Management?
Martin Gilbert served as the firm's CEO from its founding in 1983 until the merger with Standard Life in 2017. Bill Rattray was co-founder. The investment teams were organized by asset class, with senior portfolio managers leading for each region and sector, but no single CIO was publicly named as the sole investment decision-maker.
How did Aberdeen Asset Management source proprietary deal flow in emerging markets?
Aberdeen maintained dedicated on-the-ground research teams in key emerging markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and India. The firm conducted direct company visits and utilized proprietary quantitative screens to identify undervalued equities. This approach was cited as a factor in its outperformance versus benchmarks in the 2000s (per Financial Times, 2010).
Was Aberdeen Asset Management a single family office or an institutional asset manager?
Aberdeen Asset Management was a publicly listed asset manager, not a family office. It traded on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker ADN, meaning the firm had a broader institutional client base and shareholder structure distinct from a family office's private ownership. The firm's largest shareholders included institutional investors like BlackRock and Norges Bank.
What investment mandate and asset classes did Aberdeen focus on?
Aberdeen's core mandate was long-only active management in equities and fixed income. The firm was particularly known for its emerging market equity funds, global property funds, and infrastructure mandates. It did not pursue hedge fund strategies, direct private equity, or venture capital, setting it apart from multi-strategy asset managers.
Does Aberdeen Asset Management still exist as a separate entity?
After the 2017 merger with Standard Life, Aberdeen Asset Management ceased to exist as a standalone listed company. The combined entity became Standard Life Aberdeen, rebranded as Abrdn in 2021. However, certain mutual fund and trust names still reference 'Aberdeen' as a legal legal sub-brand, but the firm's independence ended in 2017.
Where did the underlying wealth at Aberdeen Asset Management originate?
Aberdeen Asset Management did not manage wealth from a single family or dynasty. Its capital came from institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as retail investors through publicly listed investment trusts and open-ended funds. The firm's revenue came from management fees on these pooled vehicles.
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