Q1. What or who inspired you to work in investing?

I entered Investment by accident as I couldn’t find a job teaching history. Luckily I joined what was then the best asset manager, Mercury Asset Manager (MAM), as (an old) graduate trainee and learnt from the best: Steve Zimmerman, Carol Galley, Consuelo Brooke, James D’albiac and others.

Q2. What do you think the future looks like for women in investing?

“When I started out in asset management in 1987 I was very lucky as there was an uncharacteristically high number of extremely talented senior women at Mercury Asset Management, where I worked. It turned out this was an anomaly and has not been replicated, to my knowledge, since. I would love to see an increase in senior women across the industry. There are, I am glad to say, several high-profile women leaders today but really we should be at the 50% mark. It will take time but to anything less is just irrational.”

Q3. What is your attitude to investment risk?

Investment is about the play between risk and reward. The key is to have a long term perspective rather than a trading one.

Q4. If you had a superpower, what would it be?

To stop children from feeling pain

Q5. Tell us your motto or if you don’t live by one, why not?

My family moto is ‘There is no Victor other than God’. It is meant to remind us not become arrogant if we win and not to become despondent when we lose. The key to life is to serve others and as Kipling said “to meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.”