Genium’s playbook for a changing advice landscape

As the financial advice sector grapples with structural upheaval, shrinking adviser numbers and rising client expectations, Genium Investment Partners is carving a niche as a high-conviction partner for practices seeking to thrive through precision, not scale.

Co-led by Chris Lioutas, Genium’s offering is a blend of deep intellectual capital, deliberate selectivity, and a staunch commitment to quality over quantity.

At its core, Genium operates as both an investment consulting and research house, serving a diverse spectrum of financial advice firms and licensees. But unlike many traditional providers that favour volume and generic outputs, Genium has deliberately taken a bespoke, high-touch route. “We are truly customised in our consulting work,” Lioutas explains. “And on the research side, we’re trying to disrupt the market with shorter, punchier and more opinionated reports”.

This contrarian approach is not an aesthetic choice — it’s philosophical. Genium caps the number of funds and ETFs it covers, prioritising clarity and conviction over comprehensiveness. Its reports are two pages long, written exclusively by senior analysts, and pointedly steer clear of algorithmically-generated fluff. “We think there are a finite number of quality products,” says Lioutas. “We cover less, but with people who deeply understand the space, so advisers get clarity fast”.

The market response has been notable. Advisers are responding positively to the blend of ‘old-school’ brevity and modern relevance. According to Lioutas, this mirrors a broader cultural shift. “People value opinion again. They value directness. And for those juggling complex client demands, a clear take from a senior expert is invaluable”.

One of the most significant initiatives currently setting Genium apart is its focus on private markets and wholesale alternative investments. In response to adviser interest in diversifying beyond listed markets, the firm recently launched a wholesale approved product list (APL) comprising 15 to 20 specialist funds. Crucially, this is not a passive product dump — it is wrapped in education and strategic integration advice to help advisers deploy these tools effectively.

“Advisers want to customise. They don’t want cookie-cutter portfolios anymore,” Lioutas notes. “Our wholesale APL comes with the thinking behind how to combine and implement these strategies. It’s there to help firms design investment frameworks that align with their philosophy, not just buy something off the shelf.”

Efficiencies and scalability are also emerging as dominant concerns across the advice community. Whether it’s via managed accounts or other vehicles, Genium’s investment consulting team is focused on helping advisers align their portfolio construction with long-term business strategy. As advisory practices merge, expand interstate, or scale via acquisition, Genium is helping clients harmonise their investment propositions while preserving consistency and compliance across geographies.

Technology, while critical, is not the headline act at Genium — but it does play a supporting role. The firm uses tech tools selectively to streamline data categorisation, meeting capture, and presentation-building, particularly to help advisers communicate investment ideas more powerfully. But Lioutas remains adamant: the firm will never be a tech-first operator. “We’re not dismissing tech. We’re using it to do the mundane tasks better, to free-up our people to focus on insight and interpretation,” he says.

This ties directly to Genium’s pitch to advisers: its IP is the product. The firm’s senior people are client-facing, and the conversations are bespoke. Where many industry incumbents are trending toward commoditisation, Genium doubles-down on human capital. “We’ve got a stacked team, and we’re not going to dilute that edge by over-reaching,” Lioutas says.

Succession planning, scalability, and business saleability are additional themes Genium weaves into its value proposition. With the inter-generational wealth transfer well underway and M&A activity in the advice sector increasing, Genium encourages clients to future-proof their business by thinking now about sale readiness — even if a transaction is years away. “It’s not about selling today. It’s about operating like you could,” Lioutas explains. “That means broadening revenue bases, boosting efficiencies, and having clear investment governance frameworks”.

Ultimately, Genium is not trying to be all things to all practices. It’s built for those who value thought leadership, investment excellence, and strategic alignment. Advisers seeking a rubber-stamp rating house or an off-the-shelf model portfolio are unlikely to find a match here. But for firms ready to sharpen their investment proposition and stand out in a crowded, high-stakes market, Genium is quickly becoming the intellectual partner of choice.