Meet the manager: James Harries
Manager of STS Global Income & Growth Trust.
If you weren’t a fund manager, what job would you do?
I’ve always loved the great outdoors, especially the sea, and I’m a keen scuba diver. So probably a marine biologist.
What was the proudest moment of your career?
Launching the first retail global income fund in the UK.
Make a conscious decision to be happy. Except for your immediate family, whether you are happy or not is of no great concern to others – they have plenty of other things to worry about.
James Harries, manager of STS Global Income & Growth Trust
What was the most difficult moment of your career and why?
It is probably the last couple of years. The combination of rising interest rates and an equity market led by a very narrow group of huge companies that are arguably pretty fully valued (as is the US equity market as a whole) and pay very little in the way of income has been a challenging time for a conservative global income investor.
However, history would suggest that the very strong returns we have seen in recent years will not go on forever, especially as rates have risen so much and we haven’t really had a normal recession (one that was not caused by a financial crisis or global pandemic) for 25 years.
What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?
Make a conscious decision to be happy. Except for your immediate family, whether you are happy or not is of no great concern to others – they have plenty of other things to worry about. So you can decide to go through life miserable or try to be happy. If you choose the former the person you are hurting most is yourself.
Away from the workplace, how do you spend your time?
I love going for long walks in the countryside, usually with my son.
Tell us about the last book you read.
I tend to have several books on the go at any one time. The one that is most interesting at the moment is ‘The View from No. 11: Memoirs of a Tory Radical’. This is Nigel Lawson’s book about his time as the Chancellor. Its 1,000 pages of pretty dense text but it not only describes his time in office but also acts as a sort of manual of how to do the job. It feels very relevant to today.
I also loved Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton which I read on holiday.
What’s the last concert you went to?
I saw Oasis at Wembley. I am that demographic so was at their huge concert at Knebworth House 30 years ago. It brought back a lot of memories.
What is your favourite film of all time and why?
A hard question to answer but I think probably The Big Blue. It’s such a beautiful film. I am also a big fan of the Paddington films which my sons loved.
In your personal life, what would you like to achieve in the next 12 months?
I would like to gain a pilot’s licence.
