What is your background?

I started working in the City many years ago – longer ago than I care to remember! I started out originally as a fund manager, then moved over to work as an investment strategist which involves examining economies and market data and learning what makes them tick. During my career I have run a number of businesses, including the UK operations of South African insurer Old Mutual. For the most recent 15 years however I have been what is known as ‘plural’ – this means I sit on various Boards for organisations both in the City & Financial Services realm, but also in the world of Sports Administration.

What attracted you most to working with JLEN?

When I look at an opportunity to chair an organisation my first instinct is to ask ‘who manages them?’ I knew that Foresight, who manages the JLEN portfolio, is a highly regarded manager with a specialist focus on infrastructure and on environmental assets in particular – for me that was a fantastic draw. When I looked into the company in more detail, I could see it had real scale and was investing in some very interesting areas largely in the UK but also increasingly around the world. I believe this offers a very strong investment proposition not only for retail investors but also for institutional clients too. I’m very proud to be able to sit on this Board and help to steer its future direction.

What is the most important part of a Board’s work?

Acting as a Non-executive Chairman means walking a fine line between influencing operational interests that can impact the day to day running whilst simultaneously taking a step back to allow the managers the space to do what is best. Right now there are so many great opportunities coming through for JLEN and I see the Board’s role as an objective voice helping Foresight to navigate through the maze of prospects. Prudently sifting through and embracing the right technologies is vital if we are to address the climate challenge we all face as people living on this planet, as well as deliver returns for shareholders.

What challenges do you see for investors in the near term?

We are currently in an incredibly stressed environment both for investors and for everyone on the planet. Soaring power prices, raging inflation, economies under strain – we all know what this derives from but we must find a way forward. Foresight and JLEN respectively have excellent track records and the expertise to find the right solutions which will allow people on our planet to meet the challenges of climate change. I certainly hope current issues won’t last for long – they certainly won’t last forever – but challenges also represent opportunities. JLEN is ready to find a way through, delivering returns and a more successful economic environment for everyone to operate in.

What book is on your bedside table currently?

There are too many books on my bedside table that’s for sure! There are a few I’m currently reading, one in particular which is a biography of Abraham Lincoln because I am off to Washington soon on holiday so I want to be prepared to explore the history. But I also love crime thrillers so am reading Val McDermid’s latest thriller called 1989.