23 Sep 2016 2 min read

Asset allocation blogging - The coolest job available?

By Emiel van den Heiligenberg

Some of you have received my thoughts on markets for many years by email and you could say that it's probably time to upgrade to something more suited to the digital age…

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My Macro Matters publication started at LGIM as a way to share my views on markets and macro topics in a more informal way. Some of you have received my thoughts on markets for many years (in a previous incarnation they were ‘Morning Notes’) and quite a few of you engage with me regularly to discuss and challenge the views expressed in Macro Matters (while fitting in a bit of banter).

In the last few years a few things have happened. First, in the spirit of healthy banter (I assume), I have been told on a fairly regular basis by my team that my way of communication, through emails, is not really of this age anymore. Second, the number of client requests for regular updates started to increase substantially, because of market events such as Brexit. Lastly, I realised that my team mates have interesting views that they’re also willing to share with Macro Matters readers.

And just like that, the idea for the Macro Matters blog was born!

A daily paper I glanced at on the way to work recently mentioned blogging as being the coolest job available (admittedly for people under 25). While we don’t plan to become professional bloggers – investing for our clients remains our first love and priority – we are eager to engage in lively, open and timely debate with our clients and friends who appreciate the views of LGIM’s Asset Allocation team.

So it is with great pleasure that we share our multi-asset insights with you as they evolve in real time.

If you like what you see, remember to subscribe or follow us on Twitter (@LGIMacromatters) to receive updates on the latest posts from the team.

We look forward to keeping you informed.

P.S. In case you're wondering, that's not my desk!

Emiel van den Heiligenberg

Head of Asset Allocation

Emiel is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the team’s investment and business strategy. He claims to have been a promising lightweight rower at university until French fries got the better of him. Reflecting his love for rowing in a team, he firmly believes that excellence can only be achieved by a great team made up of motivated individuals that are also eager to work together. To this end he is the self-proclaimed inventor of the verb 'teaming' to acknowledge that shaping a top team and culture of excellence is an ongoing process. Outside of work-family obligations, Emiel’s spare time is filled by a passion for shark diving and skiing. Prior to dedicating his career to portfolio management in 1996, Emiel worked as a policy adviser in the Dutch Ministry of Finance and he graduated from Tilburg University in the Netherlands ages ago. When not glued to his Bloomberg screens, this Dutch man is hooked on computer games, peanut butter and his favourite dark beer made by Belgian monks.

Emiel van den Heiligenberg