Optimistic about the future of Indonesia’s economy, William Henley keeps climbing higher while staying confident in the realm of capital market.
“Return on Investment really depends on the general condition and situation of economy,” the director of PT CIMB Securities Indonesia remarks.
William, who has held his post since October 2008, refers to the present market appraisal at Jakarta Composite Stock Index (Index Harga Saham Gabungan) which showed an increase of around 90 percent in 2009. The same year also marked the highest gain in appraisal of mutual fund products, which was 170 percent.
The appraisal gains in the capital market are the fruit of the Indonesia’s improved economy. Correspondingly, CIMB Securities has experienced a significant growth in transactions since its establishment in 1991.
“But it doesn’t mean that you can always take advantage of good economy in the purchase of capital market instruments, particularly individual stocks,” he asserts.
Regardless of the economic condition of a country, most investors are not in the capacity of being able to predict the future value of a stock in a business.
Hence, William adds that aside from offering various products and services of investment banking and securities, CIMB Securities provides corporate and individual finance advisor. “It is crucial for investors to seek advices from fund manager professionals.”
“While some investors can avail of an incredible gain of 400 percent, others might have to be happy with 100 percent profit based on the price per share,” William says. “The skills and ability of a fund manager professional to analyze really count. Even though in many cases, there is a factor of luck, too,” William remarks.
There are so many kinds of stocks available in the market to choose from different categories like business size and industrial sector.
“As for the size, investing in blue chip stocks does not guarantee big profits. It all depends on how your fund manager professional plays the part in analyzing the market and performance of one particular business. So, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket,” William advises.
The theme of investment is never static. It is dynamic as there is always a cycle. William cites two industrial sectors, technology and mining, whose stocks were booming in the early and mid 2000s, respectively.
“Those who put all of their eggs in one basket only tasted the temporary fruit of profit,” he adds. He meant that some investors only focused on an industry with its current booming. “Don’t rely on a paradigm of any particular industry, but instead you should see the fluctuation of the price in the capital market as a result of a dynamic cycle.”
William’s education and experience also play a great role in his career path. Soon after earning his bachelor’s degree in banking and finance from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia in 1995, William worked in a securities company as an institutional sales for 3 years. His first job opened a wider door to step into brighter career as he took various posts in banking and investment companies.
In addition to holding his current position, William is also a member of Disciplinary Committee at Jakarta Composite Stock Index. Without doubt, both activities take up his daily routine. But William believes the importance of spending his free time doing activities like shopping and dining with his family and friends.
The father of two boys, the 8-year Dominic and the 4-year Colin, also enjoys travelling. He often travels on business, though he sometimes does it for pleasure. When travelling, he enjoys the scenes and learns about local cultures.
He especially likes cities and regions in Indonesia such as Bandung and Bali. “Among all the cities I have visited worldwide, Jakarta is my most favorite one. Not only is the city my hometown, but Jakarta also offers a myriad of interesting sites, ranging from eateries to shopping venues. I always treat Melbourne as my second home town. I studied and worked there for years. I like the city’s weather and infrastructure. At least to me, Melbourne is a great escape when I am stressed-out from my daily activities.”
Having 15 years of experience in capital market industry, William says that the industry in Indonesia is still young compared with advanced countries. “The U.S., for instance has NASDAQ, Dow Jones and others with thousands of publicly listed companies altogether. While, we only have Jakarta Composite Stock Index with only about 400 publicly listed companies,” he says.
Nevertheless, William is convinced that the outlook for the demand in Indonesia is promising. “The daily transactions in Jakarta Composite Stock Index now reach an average of Rp 5 trillion. It is a big different, indeed, especially when we look at the condition of five years ago when the daily transactions recorded only Rp 300 billion.”
Asked what his long-term goal in terms of his career with CIMB Securities is, William replies, “My team and I have been working hard to increase the company’s penetration in the Indonesia’s capital market industry. With more branches opened in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya, we are very confident that CIMB Securities is en route to becoming a major player in the industry.”
Text by Aulia R Sungkar. Photos by Fransisco Manuputty Published in HighEnd Magazine, May 2010.