What led you to work in sustainable finance?
I spent the first half of my career working in traditional finance – in two very large banks. I met some great people and had some wonderful experiences, but ultimately, it wasn’t for me. So much of the work there is self-interested at both the personal and institution level and I never felt that that was a very fulfilling way to spend a large proportion of one’s time. I believe that having a greater purpose can lead to better outcomes.
The idea that finance should be there to maximise financial returns alone is bonkers to me. It’s like a restaurant only being there to deliver the most calories.
Why Tribe?
Because it didn’t exist yet. There wasn’t a wealth manager who was considering that a client may want to invest in things they care about alongside achieving their financial goals.
What’s your most memorable work milestone?
I remember David Scott (our Chairman) telling me in the very early days when we had no office, no clients, no track record and just an idea, that one day we would wake up and we would have created a meaningful business. At that point, I thought he was mad. I’m not sure exactly when that day came, but we’re there now. It’s not one single moment, one big win, or a numerical milestone – it’s simply the relentless pursuit of a goal. Persistence pays off, and having a thick skin certainly helps. It also isn’t any one person’s achievement, I’m grateful to the team and the clients who have helped us get to where we are today.
What did you want to be growing up?
A milkman. I distinctly remember being asked what I wanted to be, and friends had already said ‘fire-man’, ‘police-man’ and ‘post-man’. In my desire to be different, I wanted to be a something-man and a milk-man was all I could think of. But now on reflection, it’s SO on brand. Electric vehicle – tick, reusable containers – tick, delivered to your door – tick. It’s the ultimate 2025 start-up…
What’s your earliest memory?
Moving out of London to Wiltshire with my family aged 4. I remember arriving at the new house and thinking it was down an enormous track, very remote and surrounded by huge fields. I returned there last year for the first time in 30 years… it’s not. It’s amazing what a child’s brain perceives.
If you had to pick, which of the 17 SDGs means the most to you and why?
SDG 4: Quality Education. I come from a family of teachers on my mother’s side. We were brought up talking about schools and understanding the privilege of education. My parents prioritised our education above most other things. I was lucky to have an enormously broad education and opportunities to utilise that education; I’ll never underestimate that good fortune.
If you could have dinner with two people, who would they be? What would you discuss/ask them?
Both my grandfathers died before I was born. I would love to sit down with them and understand them and their lives first-hand. They both lived extraordinary lives. My mother’s father moved to East Africa after the War and established a school in Tanzania 600km inland from Dar es Salaam. My father’s father found himself in the Far East after the War working for the Foreign Office in Malaysia where they remained for the next 20 years.
If you weren’t the head of wealth management at Tribe, what would you be?
One of:
- Terrible banker
- Terrible teacher
- Terribly bored
What have you read, listened to, or watched recently that you’ve enjoyed?
I’m married to a publisher and the joke in our house is that I never/don’t/can’t read… I CAN read, I’m just terrible at finishing books. I enjoyed Robert Harris’s last book, Act of Oblivion – a part of history that I knew very little about (the regicide of Charles I).
I listen to quite a few podcasts – although thinking about it they all seem to start with ‘The rest is’ – politics, history and entertainment. I’m a big fan of (my cousin) Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail – I believe a growth mindset is critical to success – I’ve supported the charity Big Change in that ideal since they started.
I’ll watch a very broad range of TV. I won’t tolerate any kind of snobbery and certainly not cultural snobbery. I’m in the people business and if people are into something, I want to understand it. I recently watched the latest series of Traitors – it’s absolute gold.
What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never have?
I’ve never scored a century. I love cricket, it’s my great passion in life. I’m just not very good at it!
Give us an exclusive, what’s something no one knows about you?
If I had a specialist subject in a pub quiz, it would be 90’s Boy Bands…
Picture this: a moment from Harry’s camera roll
