We sat down with Alexander Prokhorov, Head of Asset Management at Dellecod Assets Limited, fresh off a morning cycling session. In a world obsessed with “Black Box” AI, Alexander advocates for a different approach: one where technology doesn’t replace the pilot, but sharpens the vision. Following our previous talk on digital transformation, we dive into the grit of algorithmic strategy and why the future of finance belongs to the “Hybrid Thinker.”
Alexander, your background spans law, crisis management, and finance. That’s an unusual mix. How does that DNA show up in your work today?
It’s all about structure vs. chaos. Law gave me the framework, but crisis management taught me that frameworks break. When you’re managing billions, the enemy isn’t market volatility
— it’s decision fatigue.
At Dellecod Assets, we don’t use AI to make choices for us. We use it to cut through the noise. Think of professional cycling: the strongest rider doesn’t always win; the most efficient one does. They know exactly when to push and when to let the machine — the bike — do the heavy lifting.
“Technology shouldn’t take the wheel. It should clear the fog so you can see the road more clearly.”
Everyone talks about AI, but is it actually moving the needle in asset management, or is it just a marketing buzzword?
If you’re still calling AI a “future trend,” you’re already behind. It’s infrastructure now. Our models at Dellecod process over 500,000 data points daily. In 2024, that wasn’t just “cool tech” — it boosted our portfolio efficiency by 19%.
We use automation to flag anomalies and simulate “black swan” events before they happen. But here’s the reality: machines calculate, but they don’t interpret. The magic happens at the intersection. You need the machine to find the needle in the haystack, but you still need the human to decide if that needle is worth picking up.
You often mention “algorithmic strategy.” To a layman, that sounds like a robot doing all the trading. Is it?
Not at all. It’s actually the ultimate discipline. Human investors fail because of “The Big Three”: fear, greed, and overconfidence.
Our algorithmic systems execute based on cold, hard risk thresholds. It removes the behavioral bias — which, according to the CFA Institute, causes about 40% of losses in volatile years. It’s like a racing GPS: it doesn’t drive the car, but it stops you from taking a wrong turn when your adrenaline is spiking and your judgment is clouded.
How does this shift affect the people on your team? Are analysts becoming obsolete?
Automation doesn’t remove people; it promotes them. At Cyfron Analytics, our AI platform cut operational grunt work by 27%. Did we fire people? No. We doubled our analytical depth.
Our team stopped being “data collectors” and started being “strategists.” I realized this on the track: when you trust the momentum of the bike, you don’t become lazy — you become focused. Automation handles the routine so my team can focus on the high-level judgment calls that a machine simply can’t make.
“Automation isn’t about doing less — it’s about thinking deeper.”
What does the “perfect” asset manager look like five years from now?
The winners will be “Hybrid Thinkers.” Part coder, part psychologist, part strategist. You need to read uncertainty the way a sailor reads the wind.
Success in this field mirrors endurance sports: it’s about rhythm, not a frantic rush. In cycling or investing, you don’t try to avoid resistance; you learn to sustain your momentum right through it. The next generation needs to be fluent in data but deeply aware of human emotion — because fear and optimism are what actually move capital.
What is your one piece of advice for young analysts entering this high-tech landscape?
Three things. First, learn the language of tech early. Second, build emotional discipline — because numbers are useless if you panic. And third, treat AI as a teammate, not a rival.
The future belongs to those who can collaborate with the machine while still thinking like a human.
