What do you think makes you good at what you do?
I really enjoy client interaction and getting to understand their needs. My clients are in the financial advisory industry providing investment solutions to investors. The advantage of being a portfolio manager in discretionary fund management (DFM) is being able to provide bespoke investment solutions aligned to investors’ needs. Also, the nearly two decades I have worked in the multi-management investment space have given me an understanding of how to construct diversified investment solutions that contribute to investor wealth creation.
What part of your job would you prefer not to do?
There’s nothing that particularly stands out, though the travelling can be demanding at times. Since Covid, however, clients are happy and sometimes even more keen to have virtual meetings, so we alternate between virtual and face-to-face client meetings. I hope we never get to a time where all meetings are virtual, though. There is value in building relationships by meeting clients and our partner asset managers who manage the PPS portfolio of funds available to investors.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
Almost anything sports related. Unfortunately, my love of sport was greater than my sporting ability. In hindsight my dream job would have been a sport statistician. This would be a perfect blend of my analytical background and sporting enthusiasm. Growing up, this wasn’t a realistic job opportunity, though, but that has changed now, so maybe there’s an opportunity for a second career one day.
What do you look for when recruiting for your team?
Attitude is the most important character trait. Working as a portfolio manager in DFM is rewarding as it requires an ability to grow relationships, make decisions, generally as part of a group of investment specialists, that could have a material impact on a client’s investment outcome and sometimes have difficult conversations when financial markets surprise to the downside, for example. Experience and aptitude help to get a foot in the door, but attitude determines whether one can be successful.
What is the best career advice you have ever received?
Follow the process. Developing a sound investment process and sticking to it leads to better client outcomes. Even where clients are looking for something more bespoke, our recommendations are within the guardrails provided by our investment process. It’s one of those lessons that you remember only after you’ve “paid your school fees”.
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