Why I’m a life-long learner
January 2024
Jelena Stevanovic
Deputy Portfolio Manager
Platypus Asset Management
What is your day job?
My official title is deputy portfolio manager and senior analyst at Platypus Asset Management. We are one of the approximately 25 active fund managers from around the world selected for inclusion in some Cornerstone portfolios.
As senior analyst, I spend a lot of my day looking at individual stocks and assessing the news related to those companies. I’m our primary analyst for real estate investment trusts – and also for some financial companies and industrial stocks.
My role as deputy portfolio manager is broader – it involves constantly assessing whether we have the best bets in our 30-stock portfolios and in the right amounts.
What are your qualifications and previous experience?
I have both a Bachelor of Economics and Graduate Diploma in Tax Law from the University of Sydney. That led to an early career in tax and corporate finance with Deloitte, before moving to Platypus three years later. I’ve been here 15 years and have never looked back.
Your career has encompassed the GFC, COVID-19, wars and more. What have you learnt most?
As a fund manager, you’re always learning something new. It’s what I most love about the job.
But perhaps the biggest lesson for all fund managers is that it’s critical to stick to your investment strategy. That strategy tells you how to distil information and determine whether an event or issue will impact the earnings of the companies in your portfolio – and whether you need to change any positions.
There will be times when things don't go your way. But sticking to your process and knowing your ultimate goal is key. It means you don’t get overwhelmed by information but instead know what you can control, and what you can’t control.
COVID-19 is a good example. We were constantly reassessing its impact on company earnings as it became apparent that lockdowns were going to last longer than two weeks, then longer than six weeks and so on. Our investment process was our guide at all times.
Any interesting hobbies or past times?
I’m a mum with two young children – who are 7 and 9 years old – so spend a lot of time as their personal Uber driver. They’re now old enough for me to indulge my love of travel again and we recently did a fantastic circuit of Tasmania. There’s so much to see in Australia. We should all explore it more.
How about book, podcast or streaming recommendations?
I’m an avid reader. I read everything and anything – fiction and non-fiction. I’d highly recommend Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. It’s a long read but even non-readers are likely to enjoy it.
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