Lai See | Economist Enzio von Pfeil decides it's time for a change
After 14 years of running his own business, Commercial Economics economist Enzio von Pfeil has decided it is time for a change.
After 14 years of running his own business, Commercial Economics economist Enzio von Pfeil has decided it is time for a change.
He came to Hong Kong in 1989 as regional economist with stock broker Smith New Court, one of the many British brokers whose names disappeared following London's "big bang" in 1986.
He is a German who was born in Namibia and subsequently grew up in the US, Germany and Britain. His father was a businessman and was involved in the plot to kill Hitler.
He married into "old Hong Kong". His wife Elizabeth is one of the "famous five Zimmern sisters" the children of Francis Zimmern, who had his own stock broking company and was chairman of the old Hong Kong Stock exchange. His wife Helen Kotewall was the daughter of a prominent businessman and legislator Sir Robert Kotewall, after whom Kotewall Road in Mid-Levels is named.
Von Pfeil admits that running his own business wasn't an altogether happy experience. "You're a little guy and people are reluctant to pay."
He is joining Private Capital as investment strategist. It is an independent advisory firm that has been going since 1998. He says that although there are many good fund managers there are a lot of them that play safe and "hug the index". If something goes wrong they point to brokers' research for justification.