We were delighted to see Oliver Jones, one of our investment analysts, once again featured in Citywire Wealth Manager’s ‘Top 30 under 30’ list. Oli is definitely a rising star and his expertise in ESG (he was one of the first in the country to get the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing) has earned him the nickname ‘Captain Planet’ in the office.
You can read Oli’s profile in the Wealth Manager article here.
What you won’t read there though is how we very nearly lost him to a career in hospitality. His route to investment stardom highlights the importance of communication and networking.
This is his story, in his own words:
“I studied economics at university but when I graduated, I had no idea what I wanted to do, so took a job working behind the bar in a very pretty hotel/pub in the Cotswolds.
“A co-worker behind the bar had previously worked for investment firms and I used to chat to her about my degree and what I could do with it, as well as generally about markets. This was the first time I had discussed asset management with someone outside my degree course – my university friends were more interested in talking about cricket, a big shared passion. (And something else I had considered as a career)
“Near the pub, there was a small investment platform that was bought by Embark and the Embark team used to come and stay at the hotel when they visited the offices. While serving their drinks I got chatting with them about why they were staying with us. Somehow it came up that I had a degree in economics and wasn’t really sure what I could use it for (I knew I didn’t want to be a barman forever). The COO invited me for a coffee and we had a general chat about wealth management, what it is, and the different roles you can do.
“Soon after that, I was offered a role in the Embark Platform Oversight team doing cash reconciliations. I was warned that an operations role on a platform probably wouldn’t be the most interesting, but it was afoot on the career ladder and could lead to other opportunities. It was from this that I became interested in DFMs and how they build portfolios and research funds.
“So, I decided to sit the Investment Management Certificate and, following two years with Embark, I applied for the Investment Analyst role at PortfolioMetrix and the rest, as they say, is history. I am particularly passionate about how ESG is working to make a real impact on the way companies develop. It’s an exciting time to be involved in investment and I’m grateful to be able to enjoy a pint or two in a pub rather than be the one serving them.”
Well done Oli. You’re an asset to the team and our adviser partners.
