Business Overview of Albany Investment
Executive Summary
Albany is one of the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) companies in the UK. The company operates by sourcing and managing investments listed in the UK companies on behalf of their international clients. Most of their clients come from China, West Africa, Middle East, and the former CIS. What makes the UK market more attractive is their stable political and democratic system that ensures that investments are safe. The company is managed by experienced and educated persons who have a great capability of moving the company forward. Despite the risks involved, the company has proper mechanisms of handling such risks. Within the next two years, the investment worth of the company is expected to double.
Overview of the Business
Albany is a London based investment advisory business that handles the Foreign Direct Investment in the UK. By exploiting the growing demand for international investment opportunities, the company handles over billion dollars annually (Albany Investent 1). The major strength of the company comes from their global distribution capacity that is balanced in more than 20 countries. The Albany flow of investments is beneficial to the UK in that they provide capital injections to the country in addition to the flow of diversified cultural and professional skills in the UK. The main services offered by the company range of advisory, proprietary and Referral services. The future plans of the company are to develop a global business platform for business planning and investment management services. The company benefits from the stability and a better economic outlook in UK in attracting the Foreign Direct Investment.
The main market for the Albany Company is the UK. Over the years, the UK has strengthened its position as the leading European destination for the FDI. Between the year 2013 to 2014, UK experienced about 14% increase in their FDI activities. For the past decade, the foreign direct investments have been increasing at a steady rate. The inward UK FDI stock has also reached a record USD 1,606 billion to demonstrate long term investment interest in the UK market. Therefore, there is a strong confidence and commitment from the investors to invest in the UK market. The huge increase in the FDI demonstrates the strong confidence of investors in putting their investments in the UK. Such an increase has led to the creation of thousands of jobs and an improved economic outlook. More jobs are expected to be created with increased FDI.
In the UK, there is a strong respect for the rule of law and this creates an opportunity for investors expand their investment decisions. In addition, the investors are easily attracted to the UK market by the government support for businesses (Albany Investment 1). The UK government has created a flexible labor market that supports big and small entrepreneurial activities. In this way, the UK government has created one of the largest free market economies that are very for investors. In terms of transport and communication, the UK is strategically located in Europe and has one of the largest ports that are directly linked to other parts of the world. Therefore, the UK provides a high speed connection to the mainland Europe that makes it possible for investors to explore their investment decisions. To the investors, the UK offers competitive tax rates with a properly implemented tax system that caters for the unique needs of the foreigners and the locals. Finally, the UK is a cosmopolitan society with high quality and attractive lifestyle opportunities.
Key Personnel
The Founder and the managing director of the Albany Investment group is Andrew Smith. Previously, Smith was the director of the Invest UK, where he gained a wealth of experience in investment management. In his previous organization, Smith oversaw various investment decisions in corporate investment, infrastructure, and renewable energy. Before this position, Smith had worked for an offshore investment fund for about two years where he also handled infrastructure, commodity projects, and energy. Therefore, Smith had lots of experience in investment leadership and strategic planning. From an academic perspective, Smith holds an MBA that provides him with strategic thinking capabilities. During his youthful years, Smith served in the UK army, where he also gained meaningful qualities related to self-discipline, organization, and hard work.
The other not executive director in the company goes by the name Vikas Krishan. Krishan has over 19 years’ experience in financial services and global consulting. Of the 19 years, the 13 years were in senior management position, making strategic decisions for his organization. Krishan is a graduate of London Business School, where he gained lots of insights in strategic management. Specifically, Krishan has vast experience in large scale corporate restructuring and strategy formulation through innovative technologies. Just like Smith, Krishan also served in the Indian army during his youthful days where he also gained meaningful values related to discipline and hard work. The following is the shareholders list and their holdings.
Source: Morningstar
Legal Setup of Entities Involved
Strategically, Albany Investment is strategically located with less competition in the investment industry. Through their long chain of partnerships, the company is able to add value to their clients as shown in the diagram below.
Staff
The other key staff member of Albany Investment is the General Manager, MR Eva Inglander. Upon graduating from Gothenburg University, he has managed investment priorities in West Africa and Middle East. The other important staff member is Catherin Brown, who is in charge of financial advisory services. She has extensive experience in corporate governance and collective responsibilities of the organization needed for long-term survival of the company.
Key Risks
Business Goals
The primary goal of the company is to provide investment services to global investors who are determined to invest in the United Kingdom. The company is determined to become the leading advisory body in UK to tap at the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The company is determined to build value for their shareholders within the UK economy by building on the dynamic and comprehensive global investor network.
Marketing
The company has established a 4-route market strategy that helps them develop new client relationships. Through their social media marketing strategy, the company is able to gain direct approaches from clients. The company also uses immigration lawyers to get referrals from UK immigration professionals. The other Albany marketing strategy is also done through referrals from overseas agents that help them get new clients from their countries of origins. On the other hand, the company also focuses on the online marketing platform to expand on their clientele base.
Key Third Parties Identified
The key third parties identified in this business are the lawyers and immigration professionals. In addition, the company deals with the financial institutions and the government agencies involved in investment regulations.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
The potential conflict of interest is likely to arise in a situation where the company is determined to protect their clients in the face of investment fraud. Some investors may fail to disclose some information that may arise later, leading to potential conflicts of interest.
Finance
Since its inception, the company has been growing steadily. Currently, the company enjoys foreign direct investment worth over USD100 billion. In the next two years, the worth of the company is expected to double as portrayed in the figure shown below.
Work Cited
Albany Investment. About the Company. Web. 16/03/2015 from http://albanyinvestment.com/#Business_DNA
Morningstar. Albany International Major Shareholders. Web. 16/03/2015 from http://investors.morningstar.com/ownership/shareholders-major.html?t=AIN
