LIVES
At the foot of the Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire
STARTED AT JM FINN
2011
HOBBIES AND PASTIMES
Beekeeper and keen gardener. I also enjoying running and village tennis
FAVOURITE HOLIDAY
The next one
FAVOURITE FILM
Interstellar
IF YOU WEREN'T AN INVESTMENT MANAGER
Political Journalist
FAVOURITE BOOK
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
You have recently been promoted to Head of the York office in addition to your role as Investment Director. What are your goals for JM Finn in the north?
Our relocation to York at the beginning of 2023 makes perfect sense – we have a wonderful new office which sits in the shadows of the ancient City Walls, and it is equidistant between London and Edinburgh. We have a great and trusted brand and a brilliant team, and the north of England and Scotland offer strong opportunities for us. I don’t want to limit myself but there is no reason why, within the next 5 years, the office can’t be two or three times the size it is now.
What do you think drives successful client relationships at JM Finn?
JM Finn is one of the few firms remaining that allows its Investment Managers to be directly accountable to their clients – to make investment decisions and to nurture relationships. While we cannot control monetary policy or geopolitics, we can control where we invest our clients’ money and we build portfolios with direct holdings in the world’s best companies, giving clients a sense of ownership and transparency. Markets have been testing for investors over the last two years but companies are generally going about their business – they might cut headcount, raise or cut prices, sell or acquire assets but it’s an environment for businesses to adapt and become better.
Working alongside our Wealth Planning team, we value the long-standing, multi-generational relationships with clients, understanding their personal goals or fears – some of which are commonplace, and others unique to a family.
You champion women and young people working in finance. Please could you talk about some of the initiatives you have put in place at JM Finn?
By 2025, more than 60% of the UK’s wealth is expected to be in the hands of women¹, and financial services firms will need to find ways to better meet the needs of female clients. JM Finn is a signatory of the Women in Finance Charter and we have a mentoring scheme to nurture talent within the firm – both of which I instigated. I’m lucky because we recognise the importance of having a workforce that is representative of our client base, but more can always be done to promote the industry to women. Among us there are volunteers for Girls are Investors (GAIN) and we have offered internships to young women through the scheme.
