Why Invest?

In this episode we are joined by Waverton’s Luke Hyde-Smith, Co-Head of Multi Asset Strategies and Lorenzo Marchioni, Head of Private Markets who set out the case of allocating to Private Markets. We begin by identifying the problem we are trying to solve by investing in the non-listed space and outline the historical context. We discuss investment opportunities below the radar, the illiquidity pr...

In this episode we are joined by entrepreneur Sukh Chamdal, the Co-Founder of egg-free cake company Cake Box. After 13 years of extraordinary growth, it is now an AIM listed, £80m market cap enterprise with over 180 shops in the UK. We discuss what it takes to run a franchise business, key attributes Sukh looks for in employees and how he’s built such a recognisable brand. For further information...

In this bonus Christmas episode we are joined by special guest Rory Sutherland. He is the vice chairman of Ogilvy UK, columnist for The Spectator and author of Alchemy: The Surprising Power Of Ideas That Don't Make Sense. Using his expertise in behavioural science, we reflect on 2021 and shine a light on trends that have emerged in the world of investment and beyond. We discuss the work from home...

Symon Stickney is the Founder and Group CEO of Collidr, a multipurpose platform that aims to enhance investment decisions by addressing human biases. We discuss Symon’s career to date and why he believes this technology, most commonly used by big institutions and hedge funds, can also work for retail clients. For further information please visit www.waverton.co.uk or https://collidr.com LinkedIn:...

Will Greenwood, best known for being part of the 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning team, and Ben Fennell, former CEO of creative agency BBH have written a book examining what gives the world’s best leaders the edge. In this episode, we discuss why they wrote the book, published in 2021, as well as the dynamics of leadership, how to give good feedback, and why it is important to adopt a growth mindset....

Celia Pool is the Co-Founder of DAME, a period product start up that produces sustainable tampons and reusable pads and applicators. In this episode we discuss how and why she started the business and what it takes to be a B Corp. We examine the challenges the industry faces and her mission to change things. For further information please visit www.waverton.co.uk and www.wearedame.co   Linked...

Nick Browne and Ed Clayton are the Co-Founders of Devyce, an app-based platform that lets you get a business phone number (mobile or landline) that can be used globally, without a second phone or SIM card. We discuss why they started the company, the problem they set out to solve and trials and tribulations associated with raising capital. For further information please visit www.waverton.co.uk an...

This is the second instalment of a two-part episode with Dominic Scriven OBE. We continue our conversation on environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) and discuss stakeholder versus shareholder capitalism.  For further information please visit www.waverton.co.uk and www.dragoncapital.com .   LinkedIn Doug Barnett – https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-barnett-a475b820/   Th...

Dominic Scriven OBE is the Founder and Chairman of Dragon Capital, an investment manager based in Vietnam. In this episode we delve into the interpretation of environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) and how they feed into the investment process. We discuss whether they are implicit, or explicit, central or ‘add-ons’ and we consider where ESG stops and impact investing starts.  For...

Oliver Shurville is the Founder of Tentbox, a revolutionary roof tent company that allows you to turn a car of any size into a mini campervan. In this episode we discuss how and why he founded the company, business operations, developing the brand and his grand plans for expansion should he secure financing. For further information please visit www.waverton.co.uk or www.tentbox.com .   &...

Kam Dehdashti is the Co-Founder of The Little Door & Co, a bar and restaurant group with all venues styled around a fictional flat share. In this episode we discuss his career and what led him to launch The Little Door concept. We cover his fundraising journey, building the brand’s identity and the challenges he has faced during lockdown. For further information please visit www.waverton.co.uk...

Alice Wang is the manager of the Quaero Capital Bamboo and China funds. In this episode we discuss Alice’s investment philosophy and how she thinks about investment themes and valuation in the country, outlining the common misconceptions about investing in China. Alice draws a distinction between product value and user value for some of the major technology platforms and outlines the opportunity c...

Simon Rogerson is an entrepreneurial heavyweight who launched his first business, Octopus Investments when he was just 24 years old. Since then he has expanded the Octopus offering to real estate, venture capital, green energy, wealth management and money coaching. We discuss how he started his career, the purpose and values of his businesses and how they reached B Corp status.   For fur...

Sophie Breitmeyer is the founder of an independent family jeweller based in Notting Hill bearing her own name, Sophie Breitmeyer. In this episode, we discuss how Sophie discovered her passion for jewellery design, how she sources materials and what makes her proposition different to her competitors. We also explore the ways in which Sophie works with her clients to make bespoke jewellery at pivota...

Charlotte Yonge is the Fund Manager of the Trojan Ethical Fund and Founder of GAIN ‘Girls Are Investors’, a charity set up to promote and inspire girls to pursue a career in investment. In this episode we cover a wide range of topics, from ethical investing and building a strong investment team to how GAIN has provided women with a network of peers in the industry and its mission to inspire the ne...

Lisa Conway-Hughes is a chartered independent financial adviser dedicated to financial education and in particular, helping women to become money savvy. She is the founder of misslolly.com and co-host of the Ladies Finance Club podcast. In this episode we discuss Lisa’s career and touch on topics such as the gender pay gap, life after Covid and how to make managing money more simple. For further i...

James Mee is a Fund Manager and Asset Allocation Committee member at Waverton. In this episode, he joins Doug to discuss the benefits of multi-asset investing, his views on geopolitics as well as his current fund positioning. They also discuss the battle between structural and cyclical forces in the the recent pick-up of inflation.  LinkedIn: Doug Barnett – https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas...

Peter Roberts is a serial entrepreneur who famously founded the low-cost gym disruptor, PureGym. In this episode Peter shares his experience of building teams, raising capital and ultimately creating businesses from scratch. We also cover his recent work mentoring entrepreneurs, touching on learning opportunities for new founders and advice for those just starting their journey. For further inform...

William de Gale is the founder of Blue Box Asset Management and lead manager of the Blue Box Global Technology Fund. In this episode, William defines the opportunity in the global technology sector. We discuss the industry dynamics, disruptive themes and how he approaches picking stocks in the sector. For further information on any of the topics discussed in the episode please head to www.blueboxf...

In this episode Doug is joined by Charlie Jones, Fund Manager at Waverton to discuss and define what we mean by investment philosophy. They examine a broad range of philosophies employed by investment titans from Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett to Cathie Wood and Ray Dalio. For further information on any of the topics discussed in the episode please head to our website at www.waverton.co.uk . L...

This week on the podcast we are joined by Karim Kaddoura, the Co-Founder of Virtuo, a tech-enabled, contactless car rental service. We discuss why Karim created the business, challenges he faced during lockdown and opportunities ahead for the company. For further information on any of the topics discussed in the episode please head to our website at www.waverton.co.uk or visit www.govirtuo.com/uk...

In this episode, we are joined by Hugh Yarrow, the Founder of Evenlode Investment, a long-only investment manager based in Oxfordshire. We discuss how Hugh got into the industry, his formative years and why he started Evenlode. We also discuss Hugh’s investment philosophy, approach and areas of the market he is most excited about. For further information on any of the topics discussed in the episo...

In this episode, we are joined by Tim Whiting, the founder and CEO of Timothy James and Partners, our independent financial planning partner. We discuss the purpose of financial planning, the value proposition and touch on some of Tim's case studies. For further information on any of the topics discussed in the episode please head to our website at www.waverton.co.uk or visit http://www.tjpltd.co....

In this episode we are joined by Barney Mannerings, the founder of Vega Protocol. Vega is a platform for creating and trading derivatives on a fully a decentralised (DeFi) network. We introduce some of the concepts Barney has been working on and discuss how the platform leverages blockchain technologies. We cover regulation and risk and discuss the future of centralised exchanges. For further info...

In this episode, we are joined by George Arbuthnott, a multi-award winning investigative journalist and co-author of ‘Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus’. We discuss how he got into journalism, threats to his industry and holding the government to account throughout the pandemic.  Connect on LinkedIn: Doug Barnett – https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-bar...