Meet the manager: Guy Anderson
Portfolio Manager of The Mercantile Investment Trust.
If you weren’t a fund manager, what job would you do?
I think I’d be a schoolteacher. There are some shared skills in there: taking complex ideas, breaking them down, and helping others see them more clearly. Both require patience, curiosity, and a desire to keep learning.
What was the proudest moment of your career?
It may sound like a small thing, but I was once thanked by a client for the impact that we had made on his finances, which was a humbling but happy moment.
What was the most difficult moment of your career and why?
Every investor experiences testing periods. While knowing this might make them easier to endure, it still demands resilience. For me, 2022 was a challenging year: inflation rose sharply, and UK consumer stocks suffered just as we had more exposure to them. It is at times like this that it is important to be flexible with conviction, to recognise change and to adapt.
Do something everyday that brings you joy.
Portfolio Manager of The Mercantile Investment Trust.
What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?
Do something every day that brings you joy. It’s easy to get caught up in targets and meetings and striving for the next thing, but finding some joy every day in what you do, and with whom, makes all the difference over the long run.
Away from the workplace, how do you spend your time?
I have four energetic boys aged seven to 14, so we spend a lot of time outdoors or doing activities, including at this time of year rowing for my eldest and rugby games for the rest.
Tell us about the last book you read?
I’m currently reading the War of the Roses series by Conn Iggulden, which takes me far away from the world of investing. I’m also ploughing through the Harry Potter series with my two younger children (the first time for them, but not for me).
What is your favourite film of all time and why?
Hard to name a single film, but perhaps Gladiator? Having lived in Rome as a teenager, and as a fan of history with a particular interest in the Roman Empire, it is hard not to enjoy this. While it is anything but history it does bring it bring it to life.
In your personal life, what would you like to achieve in the next 12 months?
Improve my Greek – which is not the easiest language I have learnt – to a level where I can actually hold a conversation!
