Superhero business team

Content provided by Kostya Etus, CLS Portfolio Manager

As you may already know, I’m a pretty big movie buff. I usually watch at least one movie every day and I’ve pretty much seen every movie since 1980, feel free to quiz me sometime by guessing one I may not have seen. I also really like comics, but I’ve been reading comics since I was a little kid (even in Soviet Russia, where a wolf was chasing a rabbit as opposed to cat and mouse… and the rabbit doesn’t get away in the end…).

So, you can imagine my excitement for this year’s lineup of superhero movies including Deadpool, Batman vs. Superman, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men Apocalypse, Suicide Squad, and Doctor Strange; it’s like a dream come true! Civil War and X-Men are just around the corner so I have been alternating my Iron Man and Mystique outfits. Both of these movies are based on teams of heroes and it makes me think of one such ragtag team of misfits known as the ‘International Fund Team,’ which I am proud to be a part of.

Although we infrequently fight crime, the majority of the time we try and beat up the dreaded ‘international index’ and henchmen which make up the infamous “peer group.” So far this year, we are prevailing over the bad guys and the main reason is because we are following the superhero team model: even though each individual has great and unique superpowers, we come together and fight as a team and with our powers combined, we are unstoppable! Time to meet the crew:

Joe Smith (aka “The Professor”) – mastermind behind the model used to generate portfolio allocations.

Strengths –deep understanding of complex theories that make opponents’ heads spin; does not require sleep.

Weaknesses – computer crashes.

Jackson Lee (aka “The Quant”) – runs the model and tracks portfolio statistics.

Strengths – a human calculator crunching numbers for countless hours at a time, recognizable for his ultra-fast supercar.

Weaknesses – time itself, there is not enough of it and it drains his powers.

Rusty Vanneman (aka “The Overseer”) – reviews processes and provides suggestions.

Strengths – ability to leap across the country in short periods of time; and his healing factor that slows aging.

Weaknesses – team members using inconsistent vocabulary.

Kostya Etus (aka “The Russian”) – lead designer of processes and manages day-to-day operations.

Strengths – eagle eye attention to detail, keen ability to charm others with his smile.

Weaknesses – sensitive to heat, prefers colder climate.

Now that you have met the team, you may have a better understanding of the force behind our will. The maniacal index and lowly peers stand no chance. I will leave you with something a friendly neighborhood New Yorker likes to remind me of every time I visit, “with great power, comes great responsibility”. See you at the movies!

1614-CLS-5/5/2016