ABSTRACT
The competencies of a portfolio manager are wide-ranging. They cover leadership, business management and project management. There are also many kinds of portfolio manager, working in many types of business. Describing the competencies required by a portfolio manager is a complicated business, not least because the definition of a portfolio has not yet been universally accepted among industry professionals. This chapter describes some of the different types of portfolio to set the context for the description of the skills and competencies needed by the portfolio manager to deliver successfully. Each of these portfolios may be nested inside others, further adding to the complexity and richness of the competencies needed by the portfolio manager. There are two main ways in which people become portfolio managers. The first is through the project delivery route. The second route is through a general management route.
