How They Did It: Maintaining Authenticity & Alignment Through Times of Transition

Rosemont Roundtable: Exploring the Business of Investment Management

In the latest episode of the Global Investment Leaders podcast, Brad Mook, managing director of investments at Rosemont, sits down with Phillip Cook, managing partner and chief investment officer of SouthernSun Asset Management. SouthernSun is an employee-owned boutique equity manager based in Memphis, Tennessee, with just over $1 billion in concentrated U.S. small and mid-cap strategies. The firm was founded in 1989 by Phillip's father, Michael Cook, and has maintained the same philosophy and process since the very beginning.

During the discussion, Phillip openly shares insights and anecdotes from his career at SouthernSun, recalling both the missteps and successes he faced along the way. He also speaks on the decades of strategy and planning that culminated in SouthernSun becoming entirely employee-owned and successfully transitioning leadership of the firm across generations - both notable achievements.

Throughout this episode, Brad and Phillip discuss:

• SouthernSun's unique investment-sourcing approach, which involves hands-on research, site visits and an in-depth understanding of an industry's value chain.
• SouthernSun's ownership history and the thought process behind the firm's decision to buy itself back from AMG in 2020 to become 100% employee-owned.
• The importance of trust and transparency in building authentic relationships with coworkers, management teams, clients, prospects and industry experts.
• SouthernSun's distinct approach to investing and why it remains focused on U.S. small and SMID-cap strategies.
• The recent management changes at SouthernSun and how the firm navigated the challenges associated with succession planning.

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