Omnipresent asset management: the opportunity to change the world

Lessons on how asset management changes business world from Oliver Förster

Asset management is the core instrument in consulting approach of meliorate. Oliver and I often referenced this tool in our interview to demonstrate how to contribute to the world’s development. In this post, I would like to share Oliver Förster’s insights on asset management as the person who is reassured that it is a promising tool to change one’s life. Our meditations were eye-opening for me and definitely altered my world perception.

Even though the idea of compilating all values and expectations has existed for over 5,000 years, asset management is a relatively innovative tool. Förster believes that this holistic approach to management is well-developed in Scandinavian countries and Netherlands. It was initially established for the energy infrastructure business, but it also can be successfully integrated into public transportation. As this question is emerging with inflating gas and fuel prices, asset management could be a possible way to solve the issue in Germany.

One key question is why nobody knows about asset management. Almost no universities do not provide asset management programs, but they still teach you about it in disguise. For instance, everybody in the business and consulting world knows Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Still, they are closely related to asset management as they try to exploit current resources as efficiently as possible. And even if you decide to buy a new phone or repair the old one – it is asset management because you opt for the decision most suitable for your values. Oliver shared with me he was frustrated that neither economic nor consulting branches do not recognize this undoubtedly effective tool. 

From a worker’s viewpoint, asset management is an opportunity to move between professions. I found captivating Oliver’s observations of the western world and how they use asset management to switch careers. “It is completely normal in the UK or the US for an asset manager to move from railway business to banking because the idea focuses on how you solve problems and now where,” Förster told me about how standards differ from continental Europe. Consequently, the rest of the world will apply this approach, as a result, boundaries between professions will disappear, providing numerous opportunities for asset managers.

Another significance of asset management in energy infrastructure, in particular, is the need for long-term decisions. According to Oliver, the average longevity of energy devices is nearly 80 years, so the responsibility is enormous when determining the future of generations. Some projects in meliorate may run for years due to this responsibility. Consultants think slowly, considering each potential risk and the human factor. However, as the world runs faster and faster, some decisions must be quick but still well-developed. Förster provides an example of Ukraine, which needs to rebuild its infrastructure, “Ukraine expects huge decisions that will shape the lives of generations, so they must be acute.”

Finally, asset management is definitely a tool for the future. Oliver and I came to the conclusion that learning about it now will be highly productive and promising for young people who want to jump between professions. Moreover, a tendency to replicate western experience is evidence that asset management will come into business soon. Hence, considering it even in the routine is already preparing for significant upcoming changes.

Iryna Nykoriak

Published 01.08.2022

Also may interest you: WHAT IS ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SOMEONE WHO NEVER WORKED IN ASSETS


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