Our team
We are a small team dedicated to Small & MidCap investing. We are passionate about what we do and work together with a sense of humour to deliver excellence for our clients.
Charles Montanaro
Chairman / Fund Manager
Cedric Durant des Aulnois
Chief Executive Officer
Mark Rogers
Fund Manager / Analyst
George Cooke
Head of Investments
Adam Montanaro
Analyst / Fund Manager
Alex Magni
Analyst / Fund Manager
Andrea Shen
Analyst / Fund Manager
Ed Heaven
Head of Sustainable Investments
Gaspar Arino
Analyst
Guido Dacie-Lombardo
Analyst / Fund Manager
Hal Miller
Analyst
Harriet Topham
ESG & Impact Specialist
Henrik Schmidt
Consultant
Kate Hewitt
ESG & Impact Specialist
Manroop Bal
Analyst
Nere Asumendi
Senior Analyst
Stefan Fischerfeier
Analyst / Fund Manager
Chris Crier
Head of Distribution
Christian Albuisson
Head of Client Relationship Management
Daniel Powner
Investment Sales Manager
Grace Applegate
Marketing Assistant
Harry FitzGerald
Client Relations Manager
Matthew Francis
Head of Compliance, Risk Management and Administration
Sarah Bridges
Compliance Manager
Jeremy Law
Risk Analyst
Laura Denny
Compliance Executive
John Ensor
Head of Operations
Aaron Gomez
Senior Fund Administrator
Dimitris Giakis
Fund Administrator
Gareth Bateman
Trade Execution Manager and Fund Administration Supervisor
Harrison Munday
Fund Administrator
Rachel Herry
Trade Execution / Client Reporting Executive
David Price
Senior Finance Manager
Karis Rose
Team Assistant
Lowri Brown
PA to Chairman / Office and Events Manager
Annabelle Walker
PA to Chairman / Office and Events Manager
Mark Petar
Head of Systems
Sean Bennett
Systems Administrator
Professional
Harrison studied Economics and Business Management at the University of Southampton. Having recently graduated, he joins Montanaro fresh out of university. Alongside his studies at Southampton University, Harrison worked part-time in the Microbrewery/Pub chain Brewhouse and Kitchen. Here he was promoted to a position of management, becoming a supervisor. Alongside his promotion, he took further responsibility by training to becoming a Beer & Whisky sommelier, leading masterclasses about the brewing process and whisky fundamentals. Prior to university, Harrison attended the Portsmouth Grammar School and undertook the International Baccalaureate, it’s here where he discovered his passion for Economics and Finance. He is now starting his journey in the financial sector at Montanaro and is incredibly excited for what comes next!
hARRISON joined Montanaro in 2024 as a Fund Administrator.
Qualifications:
- BSc (Hons) Economics and Business Management, University of Southampton (2024)
Personal
When not in the office, you will likely find Harrison in the gym. Having maintained a consistent gym routine for the past 2 years, Harrison finds the gym to be an incredible outlet for maintaining both his physical and mental health. Harrison has also been fortunate enough to have travelled extensively - from numerous visits to Australia to see family, to visits to Hong Kong, Singapore, Florida, Dubai and many more. In the future, Harrison would like to explore more of North America and visit places like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. As a Portsmouth FC fan, Harrison would rather that you didn’t mention football at all to him, it only serves as a painful reminder of his teams often poor performance. In the Summer of 2019, Harrison completed the National Citizens Service, receiving a certificate signed by the prime minister at the time – Boris Johnson. On this scheme, he helped fundraise for the Portsmouth based charity “Wheels for All”. The charity allowed children with disabilities and differing needs to have the opportunity to ride a specially adapted bicycle. Harrison was also previously a member of the Naval Section of the combined cadet force, receiving two promotions and going on outward-bound trips to places like Snowdonia. Harrison has also picked up an invested interest in craft beers and Whisky, on the weekends he often admits to having a cheeky pint (or two) and trying various types of beers.
Professional
Annabelle completed the CILEX Legal Secretary qualification in 2013 and from there began working at PwC Legal in their Legal Immigration department and after 2 years moved into the Corporate Tax Department as Senior PA. Following this, Annabelle spent a year assisting in the Personal Tax Department at Blick Rothenberg before making the decision to travel and work in Australia from October 2018. Annabelle worked as Temporary EA for various companies in Sydney, before travelling and returning home. Following this, Annabelle joined FTI Consulting in September 2019 supporting the Financial Strategic Communications Department.
Annabelle Joined Montanaro in 2024.
Qualifications
- CILEX Level 2 & 3 Legal Secretary Diploma
Personal
Annabelle is a lover of coffee, food markets and travel. You will find Annabelle checking out different food markets in London most weekends or at the park with her toddler, coffee in hand!
Annabelle travelled to Australia in 2018, residing in Sydney, until backpacking up the East Coast of Australia. Annabelle ticked off a few from her bucket list on this trip; a skydive over mission beach, scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef, cuddled a Koala Bear and sailed the Whitsunday Islands sleeping on catamaran for a few nights! Following her East Coast trip, Annabelle travelled to the Philippines and volunteered as an English, Maths and Science Teacher in Tigman Village in Palawan. Annabelle wanted to continue her travels but unfortunately needed to return home due to becoming very unwell in El Nido.
Although Annabelle’s backpacking days are over, she enjoys her slow weekends with her young family and a good Pilates class.
Professional
Adam graduated from Durham University with a 1st Class (Hons) BA in Combined Social Sciences, primarily studying Philosophy and Anthropology. He began his career at PwC where he was a Senior Associate in the Investment Management Tax team. During his time at PwC he qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ACA), winning the Institute of Chartered Accounts of England and Wales (ICAEW)’s Railton prize for the highest score in Business Strategy worldwide and finishing Fourth place in South-East England at the Professional Stage.
In 2013 Adam joined Aberdeen Asset Management (now abrdn plc) in their Emerging Markets Equities team where he worked as an Analyst, Portfolio Manager and more recently as an Investment Director. Adam was part of the portfolio construction team for the firm’s flagship Emerging Markets ‘Long Term Quality’ equity products, co-manager of the abrdn Emerging Markets Income Equity Fund and lead manager of a billion-pound EM segregated mandate. Adam also successfully launched and ran a dedicated Israel Fund for the Japanese retail market.
Adam joined Montanaro in 2023 as an Analyst.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) 1st Class in Combined Social Sciences (Philosophy, Anthropology)
- Chartered Accountant (ACA) and member of ICAEW
- Investment Management Certificate (IMC)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Personal
A proud father of 3 daughters, Adam spends much of his spare time operating a combined taxi and butler service! Adam is a keen sports fan, though increasingly a better watcher than player. He’s a member of his local tennis club and an Associate Member of the MCC.
An avid traveller, Adam has a keen sense of adventure, be it running the bulls in Pamplona, high-altitude trekking through Tibet, skydiving in New Zealand or tasting the local delicacies in Pakistan. He continues to get his greatest adrenaline kick from the highs and lows of supporting Arsenal, who he has watched lose all around the UK and Europe!
Professional
Harriet graduated from Durham University with a 2:1 in Economics. She later worked in Deloitte in Gibraltar, before moving to London. Harriet worked at Church House Investment Management for 5 years, initially as an Investment Analyst and later also taking the role of ESG Analyst, with a particular focus on U.K. equity markets. Working closely with the fund managers, she conducted fundamental and ESG research on companies. Harriet led in the implementation of ESG & Stewardship policies and processes into the firm.
Harriet joined Montanaro in April 2023.
Languages: English and fluent Spanish.
Qualifications
- 2:1 BA Economics at Durham University
- Private Client Investment Advice and Management (PCIAM)
- Investment Advice Diploma (IAD)
Personal
Harriet grew up in Gibraltar, and has always enjoyed being by the sea and taking part in outdoor activities. She is a keen tennis and padel player, and also enjoys hiking. Between university and starting her career she spent time travelling in South America and Kenya. When at home, Harriet likes to spend time cooking healthy recipes and when time allows, exploring her creative side by painting and sketching.
Professional
Sean has had a varied career in Secondary School Education as an IT Administrator, Events Manager, Transport Manager and during the COVID pandemic as a Test Centre Organiser.
He founded and ran an Events Company producing events and conferences for companies, charities and local councils.
He recently spent a year working in Walt Disney World as a Cast Member in Epcot.
Sean joined Montanaro in 2022.
Personal
Being from Bolton, Sean is a fan of comedian Peter Kay and supports Bolton Wanderers, and travels around the UK to see either of them live.
Sean loves theme parks and rollercoasters and tries to involve a theme park visit on any holiday he goes on.
Sean moved down to London to move in with his partner, who together are regulars to the west end especially to see Back to The Future the Musical.
Professional
Katrina spent her executive career in corporate finance and equity research advising, analysing and commentating on a broad range of businesses operating in the wealth and asset management sectors. During this period, she accumulated an in-depth understanding of the dynamics and operational drivers of fund management and worked very closely with some of the most respected companies in the sector. Latterly, she headed up the financials research team at Canaccord Genuity Inc. Katrina was formerly a non-executive director of Premier Miton Group Plc and had served on the board of Miton Group Plc since 2011. She is currently a non-executive director of a number of investment companies, including Polar Capital Global Financials Trust and JPMorgan UK Smaller Companies Trust. Katrina has a BA Joint Hons in French and German from Trinity College, Oxford.
Personal
Professional
Heather Manners is an award-winning market professional with some 35 years experience of investment in Asia, most recently, and for 15 years as the co-founder, CEO, and CIO of Prusik Investment Management. Heather is also a non-executive director of Collider Asset Management and Chair of Fidelity Emerging Markets Ltd and previously was a non-Executive Director of Aberdeen New Dawn. Heather began her career at Henderson Global Investors Limited where, latterly, she was Head of Asia and Emerging Markets.
Personal
Professional
Dan graduated with a History degree from the University of Manchester in 2013. He soon moved to London and started his career in the investment industry working for Henderson Global Investors. After this, he joined Jupiter Asset Management to work in the sales team, covering IFA’s in the Midlands, South West and East Anglia.
Dan joined Montanaro in 2022 as an Investment Sales Manager and is responsible for clients within the Midlands and South West.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) in History - University of Manchester (2013)
Personal
Dan grew up in Wolverhampton, so no surprise his childhood dream was to play in the old gold of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Instead, you will now find him watching the game or playing 5 a side football with friends when he can.
Dan enjoys spending time outdoors and occasionally signs up for fitness challenges, most of which were great excuses to travel. He has completed the Rome marathon, a standard distance triathlon in London and half-Ironman triathlon in The New Forest, and a long-distance trail race around Lake Como. With the full Ironman too much of an ask, these days he prefers the calmness of a golf course, although has a lot of work to do to bring his handicap down.
Professional
Jeremy studied an undergraduate degree in Economics at University College London, he then graduated from Imperial Business School for Master’s in Finance with distinction in 2016.
He started his career in a family office called Woodsford Consulting, where he gained invaluable experience in various asset classes including Equities, Bonds and Alternatives. After that, Jeremy worked at HSBC Global Asset Management, specialising in Equity Portfolio Analytics. Before joining Montanaro, he worked at Brooks Macdonald as an Investment Risk Analyst, focusing on fund oversight.
Jeremy became a CFA® charterholder in 2020 and passed all three levels of the exams on the first attempts.
He speaks native Cantonese and can speak Mandarin fluently.
Jeremy joined Montanaro in 2021.
Qualifications
- BSc (Econ) Economics, University College London (2015)
- MSc Finance, Imperial College Business School (2016)
- CFA® charterholder
Personal
Born and raised in Hong Kong, his repertoire ranges from Mozart to contemporary Cantonese pop music. Jeremy enjoys playing the piano in his spare time, and is a pianist and worship leader for church services. Jeremy has also cycled round the Isle of Wight in two days for charity fund-raising.
Professional
Personal
Professional
Manroop graduated from University College London (UCL) in 2016 with an undergraduate degree in Economics, and pioneered a microfinance project during her time at university. She completed internships with HSBC and RBS within their investment banking and markets divisions, and with EY during the spring of 2014. She started her career at EY in 2016 within the technology, media and telecommunications sector, and completed the ACA qualification in 2019.
Manroop joined Montanaro in September 2021.
Qualifications
- Sc. Economics, UCL (2016)
- ACA, ICAEW (2019)
- Trilingual in Hindi, Punjabi and English
Personal
Having spent much of her childhood travelling and living in India for 2 years, Manroop enjoys exploring other countries and cultures. Manroop is an avid reader of literature on astrophysics, and has a passion for jazz and Indian classical music. When at home, she can be found digging into the latest theories with Miles Davis playing in the background. She frequents the art scene in London in her spare time, from attending intimate classical concerts and book readings to the opera and ballet. As a former tennis coach, Manroop enjoys the odd tennis match in the summer and is also trained in Ashtanga yoga.
Professional
Laura graduated from the University of Kent with an undergraduate degree in Law. During her 3 years at Canterbury she volunteered at their Law Clinic and acted as Fundraising Officer for the Kent Law Campaign in her final year.
Laura began her career at a stockbrokers in the City, covering both monitoring and advisory compliance. During her time there, Laura was seconded to Madrid for 6 months to help set up the new European entity.
Laura joined Montanaro in 2021.
Personal
Laura enjoys spending much of her free time engaging in activities, whether socialising with friends and family, finding new activities to try out, or visiting European cities and exploring their culture.
She much prefers eating out compared to her own cooking and whilst living in Madrid, developed a taste for tapas and sangria in the sun.
Laura enjoys working out and running, having completed a half marathon she hopes to one day run the London marathon, although that is easier said than done!
Professional
After gaining a Law degree from the University of Exeter, David joined Price Waterhouse Coopers where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
After qualifying David took some time out to travel, during which time he spent a year working for Macquarie Bank in Sydney. Returning to London he worked for several Investment managers, AMP, Newton and AXA Rosenberg in a variety of Finance and operational roles over twenty years. David moved on to become CFO of a mining Private Equity Fund, CD Capital, for seven years before setting up his own company providing outsourced CFO services to several clients. He spends three days a week with Montanaro.
David joined Montanaro in February 2021.
Qualifications
- Law degree (LLB), University of Exeter
- Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ACA)
Personal
Outside of work, David’s interests can be split between spending time with his family; including being a long time touchline supporter of his two sons, travelling, sourcing a great meal or event out with friends and a not too secret passion for property development.
Professional
Kate graduated from Newcastle University with a first class degree in Biology. She began working at Manchester based Investment Manager, Castlefield where she honed her skills in ESG and sustainability research. She then spent a year in Costa Rica working towards her MA in Environment, Development and Peace. Upon her return from Latin America she took up a position at an independent sustainability research house, Impact Lens, where she designed and implemented their research process. This was prior to joining the investment team at Holden & Partners as their Sustainability Analyst.
Kate joined Montanaro in January 2021.
Qualifications
• BSc First Class Honours in Biology, Newcastle University
• MA in Environment, Development and Peace, The United Nations University for Peace
• IMC
• CFA UK Certificate in ESG Investing
Personal
Kate is a keen skier and enjoys spending time in the Alps. Although, a knee injury acquired during a winter season working in Courchevel means you’re more likely to find her in the bar enjoying the aprés than on the slopes.
Despite living in a Spanish speaking country for a year, Kate still describes her linguistic skills in this department as “disappointing”. Nevertheless, Kate enjoys practising using online language lessons and hopes to improve her conversational Spanish to help when indulging in her other passion of travelling.
A Manchester City fan, Kate tries to get to as many MCFC games as the family season tickets will allow. She also enjoys cooking and trying out predominantly plant-based recipes - she’s a particular fan of baking vegan chocolate cake.
Professional
Dimitris graduated from the University of Piraeus in Greece with a degree on Economics. He entered in the world of finance by working as an Intern at Smart Insider, a specialist market data provider for equities based in the city. This opportunity enabled him to demonstrate interest for the investment management industry.
Dimitris joined Montanaro in 2020 as a Fund Administrator.
Qualifications
- Bilingual in Greek and English
- B.A. Economics – University of Piraeus (2016)
Personal
Aside from work, Dimitris has a keen interest in various sporting activities such as football, running, hiking, scuba-diving, water skiing, wake boarding and Cross Fit. He believes in an ancient Greek proverb which states that “a healthy body can sustain a healthy mind’’. However, skiing has become his real passion after visiting the French Alps and since then he has been trying to improve his technique. When Dimitris has a break, he visits his family in Greece and takes a tour of the Greek islands. He is always keen to start something new and one day he hopes to master playing the piano.
Professional
Hal graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2016 with an undergraduate degree in Human, Social and Political Sciences, specialising in human evolution. Alongside his core academic studies, Hal was part of the winning 2016 Boat Race squad.
Next, Hal joined the asset management graduate scheme at Charles Stanley, before working for 2 years at the independent investment research company Third Bridge, where he led coverage of European healthcare companies.
Hal joined Montanaro in May 2020.
Qualifications
- BA Human, Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Investment Management Certificate (IMC)
Personal
Hal is a qualified windsurfing instructor, and enjoys spending windy weekends out in the surf off the south coast of England. When the wind calms down, he is also a keen sailor and kayak fisherman.
In addition, Hal is a running enthusiast, and thinks jogging in to work beats the Northern Line any day.
Professional
Charles graduated with an honours degree in Anthropology from Durham University in 1976. He spent four years in industry before joining Merrill Lynch in 1980 as a private client broker in London. He joined Dean Witter Reynolds in 1984 and Drexel Burnham Lambert in 1987 as a Senior Vice President where, in both cases, he was their top institutional broker in the UK, joining the high-yield bond department in 1989. In 1990, Charles joined MMG Patricof (now Apax Partners) as a Director of investment banking working with UK private and public smaller companies.
In August 1991, he founded Montanaro to specialise in analysing and investing in quoted European smaller companies on behalf of leading institutions. He has since launched and managed several funds and established a strong track record. In addition, he has served on the Boards of two public smaller companies. He was appointed a Director of the Montanaro European Smaller Companies plc on 12 January 2012.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) Anthropology, Durham University (1976)
Personal
Charles, with his inexhaustible supply of energy, is rooting for Arsenal when he isn't motivating his own team.
A pity his enthusiastic approach doesn't work with fish. Despite numerous attempts, he has yet to catch a trout, let alone a salmon. Although he did catch a piranha during his first trip up the Amazon and is now known as "the white Huaorani" following his second adventure in search of undiscovered tribes in the jungles of Ecuador.
Having survived his first London marathon in a vain attempt to get fit, he spent time in the jungles of Papua with the stone-age Korowai and Kombai who had not seen a white man before. Although practising cannibals, he was clearly too tough for their taste and survived the adventure – narrowly avoiding a native attempting to shoot his bow and arrow first and ask questions later…
In search of truly undiscovered people, he was temporarily kidnapped in Mamberamo by an unknown tribe where he found that not all natives are friendly. Undeterred, he went hunting with the Yanomami in Venezuela and the Embera of Panama at the end of 2007 where he got eaten alive by mosquitos and nasty little nigwas and leeches. In 2008, with his wife to be Jane, he tried his hand at climbing steep hills firstly in Kashmir and then in Bhutan where he met the new King before climbing 18,000 feet to see what altitude sickness felt like. An unexpected 40 kilometre hike in the snow (abandoned by a guide who was lost) nearly ended badly.
He survived running the Bulls of Pamplona as a pre-cursor to further exploits among indigenous tribes. These included walking safaris with the San people in Botswana and fishing with Australian aborigines. A return trip in 2009 to the jungles of Irian Jaya (the Korowai) saw him going native and returning with a stick through his nose - much to the disapproval of his wife (since removed – the stick that is). In 2011, Charles explored the jungles of Sumatra with the Mentawai.
In 2013, Charles founded and largely funded Tribal Survival, a charity aimed at improving the lives of indigenous people living in remote jungles by providing access to Western doctors and medicine. In 2014, a five-year programme was initiated with the assistance of the World Health Organisation to eradicate Lymphatic Filariasis (elephantiasis) among the Korowai.
For a change, Charles chose to spend time with indigenous people living in colder climates. In 2017, he spent a fortnight hunting on dog sleds with a remote community of Inuit in Kulusuk (Greenland). 2018 saw him living with the Nenet, reindeer herdsmen in Yamal (North West Siberia). In both cases, temperatures below minus 30 - 40 degrees were not uncommon and hairs in his nostrils froze.
November 2019 saw a return to the Korowai of West Papua where humidity was almost 100 degrees. Not sure which is worse. Once again, he returned with a stick through his nose but also an earring - his wife even less impressed. Where to next?
Professional
Cédric joined Montanaro in April 2007, becoming Chief Executive Officer of Montanaro Asset Management on 1 January 2016. Cedric holds a MBA from Instituto de Empresa, a Master’s in Finance and Economics from the LSE and a Master’s in Finance and Banking from Paris-based Université Dauphine. Cédric is bilingual in French and English.
Qualifications
- Master’s in Finance and Economics, London School of Economics (2000)
- Master’s in Finance and Banking, Université Dauphine in Paris (2000)
- MBA from Instituto de Empresa (2007)
- Bilingual in French and English
Personal
Outside the office Cedric likes to see the world through the lenses of his Canon digital SLR. He can spend days, even weeks, observing the wildlife in its natural habitat. Some of his best memories include photographing wild dogs chasing after their prey in Botswana, seeing hyenas with their cubs at night, watching darting Arctic sterns in the fjords of Iceland, witnessing a battle for territorial dominance between two brown bears in Finland and stumbling upon the bizarre-looking pangolin – a rarity according to locals - in the Okavango Delta.
Professional
Christian graduated from the University of Grenoble in 1981, where he studied Politics & Law. His research on Scottish politics took him to Scotland where, in 1986, he joined Martin Currie Investment Management as an Investment Manager covering Europe and Asia. In 1988 he joined British Linen Bank, part of the Bank of Scotland Group, where he was in charge of European investments.
In 1990, Christian joined Edinburgh Fund Managers ("EFM") where he was responsible for managing the European Unit Trust and marketing in Canada and the US. After eight years at EFM, in 1998 Christian joined Kempen Capital Management (UK) where he was involved in the marketing and management of their SRI funds and also with marketing in Europe and Canada.
Christian is trilingual in French, English and Spanish.
Christian joined Montanaro in July 2006 and became Head of Client Relationship Management in 2011.
Christian has responsibility for Scotland, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.
Qualifications
- Politics & Law degree, University of Grenoble (1981)
- Fluent in French, English and Spanish
Personal
As a fund manager, Christian sometimes took contrarian views. This may be why he left the South of France to move to cold and wet Scotland. Christian speaks French and Spanish and on moving to Scotland, even took (and passed!) an O-Grade in Gaelic.
He likes French and Italian wines and is currently learning Italian so he can visit the various producers during his holidays. For some years now, Christian has imported his favourite wines and champagne into the UK and he is often asked to present them at tasting sessions. His other great interests are Scottish history, literature, cinema and running (when the Scottish weather is not too bad). He also spends some time serving the French community in Scotland as an elected councillor.
He plans to go to the Gaelic college in Skye to improve his Gaelic. He loves the West coast of Scotland, one of the most beautiful parts of the world, when it does not rain and there are no midges!
Professional
Mark graduated with a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Wales, Bangor in 1986. Since then he has spent his whole career in the asset management industry, the last 12 years managing buy side research teams.
His first 4 years was with Bankers Trust Asset Management as a UK portfolio manager, running funds on behalf of UK pension clients. Then Mark joined Nomura Asset Management in 1990 where he worked for 17 years, first as a European equities portfolio manager for US Pension clients and then as Head of Research where he built up a team of 14 in-house sector analysts in London and New York.
In 2007 Mark left to join Fidelity Worldwide Investments in London as Director of European Equity Research. In this role Mark helped to manage and coach the 45 strong buy side analyst team.
In March 2014 Mark joined Montanaro, and in 2018 he became co-Fund Manager of the Better World Fund. Mark is also a member of the Investment Committee.
Qualifications
- Banking and Finance degree, University of Wales, Bangor (1986)
Personal
Mark is a Life Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and he has always had an interest in gazing at maps and wondering what was out there. In his younger days he tried to stay true to his dreams. As a keen cyclist Mark has been on a number of adventures, including a lone ride across the Himalayas from Lhasa to Kathmandu. This was back when Tibet was closed to foreigners and the route was just an empty, barren dirt road.
Mark has also followed his interest in mountaineering over the years. He and his brother have been on numerous expeditions to climb the high peaks of Europe, the USA and Nepal. They reached the summit of Ama Dablam, at 22,493ft, and inclement weather forced Mark from the summit ridge of Cho Oyu, at 26,900ft.
Mark acknowledges that as one gets older, life has a habit of becoming more circumscribed. Today, Mark has two grown up daughters and his wife, Catherine, has two teenage children. Nowadays, his pleasures come from cooking comfort food for everyone and cycling at the weekend.
Mark has a large globe which is beside his bed and in the evenings you can still catch him sneaking a look to see what great adventures lie out there for the brave hearted.
Professional
George graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2005 with an undergraduate degree in Management Studies. He spent a further year of study there at the end of which he was awarded a Masters (with Distinction) in Corporate Strategy & Governance.
Immediately following this, he joined the graduate scheme at Aon Benfield (formerly Aon Re). Having completed this scheme, George settled as an Analyst within the ReSolutions department where he specialised in assisting with the capital and runoff issues of insurance and reinsurance companies. During his time at the company, George received a Diploma in Insurance. He is also a CFA Charterholder.
After three and a half years with Aon Benfield, George joined Montanaro in July 2010. George is Head of Fund Management and is the Fund Manager of the European Smaller Companies Fund, the European Smaller Companies Trust and the Global Select Fund.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) in Management Studies, University of Nottingham (2005)
- MA (with Distinction) in Corporate Strategy & Governance, University of Nottingham (2006)
- Exams passed for Diploma in Insurance
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Personal
When away from the office, George enjoys running and cycling. He completed the London marathon in 2014 and plans to try l’etape du tour…one day. A yearly trip or two to the Alps or Canada allows him to refresh his snowboarding ‘skills’, with his enthusiasm almost making up for any apres-ski induced balance issues.
Professional
Stefan holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Cooperative Education in Mannheim (1995) as well as a Diplom-Kaufmann (MBA equivalent) from the University of Mainz (1998). He graduated from the London Business School with an MSc in Finance (2006).
After graduating from University of Mainz he spent more than six years at Accenture in Germany, Switzerland, France, and the UK as a management consultant for European banks and asset managers. Stefan then worked as an analyst at Nordwind Capital, a Munich based private equity company, analysing the automotive industry, and as an investment consultant for a property fund in Romania assessing real estate investment opportunities in Eastern Europe.
Stefan is bilingual in German and English.
Stefan joined Montanaro in May 2007. He is both an Analyst and Fund Manager of European Smaller Companies Fund and three of our segregated mandates.
Stefan is a CFA Charterholder.
Qualifications
- B.A. in Business Administration, University of Cooperative Education in Mannheim (1995)
- Diplom-Kaufmann (MBA equivalent), University of Mainz (1998)
- M.Sc in Finance, London Business School (2006)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Bilingual in German and English
Personal
After leaving Munich, Stefan studied in Mannheim and Mainz and worked for three years in the German financial centre Frankfurt. He then took a break and enjoyed the sun at Cote d’Azur, living in Antibes and working in Sophia Antipolis Technology Park.
Stefan moved to London in 2003. He admits that it’s a completely different experience and that he enjoys each and every moment of it.
Travelling is one of Stefan’s favourite pastimes. He has kept in touch with many of his colleagues from around the world and has visited them in Australia, USA and Mexico.
Stefan started skiing aged seven and his favourite spot is Val Thorens as it's the biggest ski resort with the best snow in the Alps. He also played football for a Munich football club for thirteen years but nowadays he just doesn’t have the time - he takes the easy option and watches games in the pub instead!
Professional
After completing his Ph. D in Engineering at Imperial College, Alex started his career at Cazenove & Co in 2000, where he joined the highly rated German Small & Midcap team as a generalist, covering a wide range of companies and industries.
In 2004, Alex helped to start an independent equity research boutique called Clear Capital, which focused on UK Small & Midcaps, and which made extensive use of primary data to gain insights into companies and industries. Alex began his coverage of the Business & Commercial Services sector while at Clear Capital.
In 2010, he joined the HSBC European Business & Commercial Services team, which became a consistent Top 5 Extel team, and ranked as high as No 2 in the 2014 Extel Survey.
Alex joined Montanaro in October 2015.
Qualifications
- M.Eng in Chemical Engineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (1996)
- Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (2000)
Personal
Alex has two young daughters and lives in London. When he is not helping with maths revision or coaching hockey from the sidelines on a Sunday morning, Alex enjoys taking a break from the London air by exploring the many National Trust sites dotted outside the city. Cliveden House and Polesden Lacy are a must!
Professional
Nere completed an MBA at London Business School in 2010. During the MBA she spent a semester at Columbia Business School in New York as part of the international exchange programme. She holds a Masters in Business Administration with specialisations in marketing and finance from Universidad de Deusto in Spain.
Before achieving an MBA, she worked as an Associate in the Consumer and Retail Group at Lehman Brothers in London. Other work experience includes e-commerce strategy at Coca-Cola in London.
Nere is bilingual in Spanish and English.
Nere joined Montanaro in November 2010.
Qualifications
- Master’s in Business Administration with specialisations in Marketing and Finance, Universidad de Deusto in Spain
- MBA, London Business School - including a semester at Columbia Business School in New York (2010)
- Bilingual in Spanish and English
Personal
Having spent most of her childhood close to the seaside in Spain, Nere has a passion for swimming, snorkelling and marine life. She has travelled around the world to the sunny beaches of Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Indonesia and many other places. When at home, Nere enjoys reading and drawing.
Professional
Andrea graduated from Brown University (magna cum laude) with a double concentration in International Relations (honours) and East Asian Studies in 1992. She holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University (1994) as well as an M.Litt. (with Distinction) in History of Art from University of Glasgow (2011). She has also studied at the International Christian University in Mitaka, Japan.
She started her career on the sell-side in global aerospace & defence equity research team at Lehman Brothers New York in 1994 as an associate. In 1998, she joined the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) in the equities division as an investment analyst with portfolio management responsibilities, largely in the US and European industrial and technology sectors. After 7 years at the Singaporean sovereign fund, she returned to Lehman Brothers London as a Director in Equity Research. After taking time off to have a family, she returned to work at a corporate finance boutique, ARC Associates, as Head of Research in 2011.
Andrea is bilingual in Mandarin and English.
Andrea joined Montanaro in January 2012.
Qualifications
- Brown University (magna cum laude) with a double concentration in International Relations (honours) and East Asian Studies (1992)
- M.A. in International Affairs, Columbia University (1994)
- M.Litt. (with Distinction) in History of Art, University of Glasgow (2011)
- Andrea has also studied at the International Christian University in Mitaka, Japan
- Bilingual in Mandarin and English
Personal
An avid traveller, Andrea has visited over 30 countries and lived in Singapore, Japan, New York and now London. Apart from travelling, she enjoys reading (ancient rulers and medicine), wine tasting, learning Danish & Italian, playing tennis and cross country skiing.
Professional
Gaspar graduated with a degree in Economics from Universidad Autonoma of Madrid in 2005. After that, he studied a Master in Financial Markets at IEB and completed three full-time internships in several Spanish financial institutions. Following this, Gaspar worked for 7 years at Allianz Popular managing European mutual funds and pension plans. In 2014 Gaspar joined GO Investment Partners as an Investment Analyst for the GO European Focus Fund. Gaspar joined Montanaro in August 2015.
Gaspar is a CFA Charterholder and holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from IESE Business School. He is also Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM). Besides his native Spanish, Gaspar is fluent in English and conversant in French.
Qualifications
- B.A. in Economics, Universidad Autónoma of Madrid (2005)
- Master in Stock Exchanges and Financial Markets, Instituto de Estudios Bursátiles IEB (2007)
- Executive MBA, IESE Business School University of Navarra (2013)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
- Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA)
- Bilingual in English and Spanish
Personal
Gaspar moved to London in 2014 and has enjoyed the experience so much, that he sees himself living in the city for the foreseeable future. When not reading about investing, Gaspar enjoys spending time with friends and family. He is passionate about tennis, skiing and running. He is planning to complete the London marathon in the not too distant future.
Professional
Guido graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2008 with an MSci in Experimental & Theoretical Physics. He joined Rothschild in London where he advised UK and European clients on mergers and acquisitions, as well as a range of general corporate finance issues.
After six years with Rothschild, Guido joined Montanaro in 2015 as an analyst covering the Software, IT Services and Electronic Equipment sectors. He is the lead manager of both the Montanaro UK Income Fund and the Montanaro Global Innovation Fund.
Guido joined Montanaro in 2015.
Qualifications
- MSci in Experimental & Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge (2008)
- Bilingual in English and Italian
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Personal
In his spare time, Guido relaxes by playing the piano, trying to compose music or cooking a new dish. If he’s feeling more energetic he can be found on the golf course or the ski slopes, and he enjoys playing snooker, squash and football. Guido also loves packing his weekend bag to explore the English countryside or a European city, particularly when combined with tasty local food. When he has the time for longer breaks, he explores further afield – most recently a three-week trip to Japan to experience the beautiful autumnal foliage (and of course the wonderfully varied and delicious food!).
Professional
Henrik completed an MSc in finance and business administration after studying at the University of Linkoping in Sweden and in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
He started his professional career in 2000 at Merrill Lynch where he worked in equity research covering software and IT services companies. In 2001 he joined Lehman Brothers, where he spent 3 years as an Analyst, working on the European banks team.
As the lead Analyst on the Nordic banks he was writing company, sector and thematic reports. After that he spent 4 years at KBW and 3 years at Morgan Stanley, where he besides being the lead Analyst on Nordic banks also covered Emerging Market banks (Turkey and Russia) and wrote European banks strategy reports.
During his time as a bank Analyst he was voted the number one ranked Nordic banks Analyst in Europe. At Morgan Stanley the team also reached the number one position in Europe.
Henrik has responsibility for the Nordic region.
Qualifications
- M.Sc in Finance and Business Administration, University of Linkoping in Sweden and in St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Bilingual in Swedish and English
Personal
After growing up on the West coast of Sweden and living in Switzerland for a year and a half his biggest interests are boating and skiing. These days that boils down to a couple of weeks skiing per year and a little bit of boating in the summer. There is still that dream of spending a season in the Alps. Besides sports Henrik likes to travel. The perfect dream holiday would be to combine these two interest and go skiing in Alaska.
Professional
Ed joined Montanaro Asset Management in 2014 and is Head of Sustainable Investment. He first joined the City in 2007 with a start-up consultancy, before moving into asset management as a Portfolio Manager at Newton Investment Management and then Standard Life.
Ed leads the ESG and impact investment approach at Montanaro and has developed sustainable investment strategies, including the award winning “Montanaro Better World Fund”. He was instrumental in Montanaro achieving B Corporation certification in 2018. He chairs Montanaro’s Sustainability Committee and sits on its Executive Committee.
Ed was elected to the Board of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) in September 2023. UKSIF comprises a diverse range of 300+ financial services firms with assets under management of £19 trillion, committed to building a leading sustainable finance industry in the UK. Ed also serves as an independent member of the Medical Research Foundation’s Investment Committee, a charity dedicated to advancing medical research, improving human health and changing people’s lives for the better.
He also contributes to the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) policy workstream. Previously, Ed Co-Chaired the B Corp Finance & Investment Working Group, collaborating with other financial services firms to promote best practices and initiatives in the sector, attending COP26.
Ed has completed the Sustainable Finance Course at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and holds the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing, and The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment Diploma. He graduated from Durham University with a 2:1 BA (Hons) degree in Theology.
Qualifications
- Durham University, Theology BA (Hons) 2:1
- CFA Institute, Certificate in ESG Investing
- The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment Diploma
- Sustainable Finance Course - Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge
Personal
Away from work, Ed is kept busy looking after his young family. An avid reader, Ed likes to relax by working his way through an ever-growing reading list. He is interested in the development of new technologies, particularly “AI” and in his spare time has completed Stanford Professor Andrew Ng’s course 'AI for Everyone'. When he can, Ed likes to travel, a highlight being a trip across the Middle East to Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Israel in 2005.
Professional
Sarah studied Zoology at Imperial College in London, graduating in 2004. She worked for a small investment management company in a trade support role for three years, before deciding to take a year out to complete a Masters degree in Biodiversity and Conservation at Roehampton University.
Sarah joined Montanaro in December 2008.
Qualifications
- Zoology – Imperial College London
- Masters in Biodiversity and Conservation – Roehampton University
Personal
Sarah has always had an interest in wildlife and environmental issues, which she traces back to watching David Attenborough documentaries as a child. In the past she has carried out voluntary work on zoos, farms and with conservation groups, but unfortunately she has not yet made it to the rainforest. These days she is mostly limited to exploring the garden and local park with her two young children.
When she is not in her wellies, Sarah likes to spend time with friends. This usually involves eating, and she enjoys trying any food as long as someone else has made it.
Professional
Chris graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a degree in Banking & Financial Management in 2013. Born and bred in Manchester, Chris quickly made the move to London to embark on a career in Asset Management, joining Neuberger Berman as Performance & Risk Analyst.
It didn’t take long for Chris to decide he wanted to work in distribution and in 2014 joined Goldman Sachs Asset Management to support both their wholesale and institutional sales teams within EMEA.
Keen to progress into a client facing role, Chris joined Columbia Threadneedle in 2015 as Business Development Manager, tasked with developing, growing and maintaining relationships with a panel of financial advisers, life co’s and key strategic partners across the U.K.
Chris joined Montanaro in 2018.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) Banking & Financial Management, Sheffield Hallam University.
Personal
Away from work, Chris sits on the members committee at The Lansdowne Club in Mayfair and is constantly looking at ways to improve the experience for its members. Chris is an avid Manchester United fan (yes – one of the few actually from Manchester) and goes to watch the games as often as he can. Chris enjoys the odd game of 5-a-side but feels he is more attuned to playing golf these days. He is also a big horse racing fan with his favourite meet being the Ebor Festival at York.
Chris loves to travel but rarely plans ahead, choosing instead to book last-minute flights to random destinations. He would like to become fluent in French one day and spent the odd summer during university working at Disneyland Paris. Unfortunately we are yet to find a photo of him dressed as Mickey Mouse.
Professional
Grace completed her A-Levels in 2014 and went on to study Business Management at the University of Portsmouth for 4 years. As part of her 4 years she undertook a placement year working at Aberdeen Asset Management on their sales team.
Grace joined Montanaro in 2019 as a Marketing Assistant.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) First Class Degree in Business Management – University of Portsmouth (2018)
Personal
Grace got a taste of the beach life as she travelled around South East Asia for 4 months. She had some amazing experiences such as trekking with elephants in Thailand, volunteering at an orphanage in Cambodia, motor-biking around the mountains in North Vietnam as well as experiencing the Malaysian culture.
Grace also enjoys spending time with her family and friends – especially if a Prosecco.. or 2 is involved!
Professional
After gaining a degree in Banking & Finance in 1994 from Birmingham City University, Matthew joined the Far East Desk of Schroder Investment Management responsible for World (ex Japan) equities for a Japanese client base. During this time he successfully completed the IMC and IIMR examinations.
Having left Schroders, Matthew moved on to cover Client Relations at a boutique long short hedge fund start up before spending two years as a Senior Performance Analyst at Henderson Global Investors.
Matthew joined Montanaro in October 2006, and was appointed Compliance Officer in April 2010.
Qualifications
- Banking & Finance degree, Birmingham City University (1994)
- Investment Management Certificate (IMC)
- Institute of Investment Management and Research (IIMR)
Personal
Having had his footballing revival cut short by some career threatening injuries Matthew has now had to turn his attention to more age appropriate sports such as tennis.
He also likes to travel and spend time with his daughter.
Professional
After graduating in Experimental Physics from the University of York in 2003, John started his career in technical sales for a satellite communications company.
He entered the Financial Services sector in 2006 when he started work in Fund Operations for Capita Financial in London, and then worked as a Client Accountant for State Street in Sydney in 2008.
John joined Montanaro in 2010.
Qualifications
- Experimental Physics – University of York (2003)
Personal
When not in the office, John enjoys a variety of sports activities including Kayaking, Surfing, Go-Karting and cycling.
His real passion, however, is to travel. Since leaving university he has travelled extensively, through Europe, North Africa, Asia and Australasia. His greatest adventure to date has been participating in the Mongol Rally; driving a 1982 Rover Mini 8000 Kms from Hyde Park in London to Ulaan Bataar in Mongolia, through the desert in Kazakhstan and the forests of Siberia.
Professional
Gareth started his career at Trinity Broking LLP, at the time a leading brokerage for some of the most liquid exchange traded derivatives. After this he moved to a proprietary trading firm, working in a trade support role focusing on the commodity derivatives market.
Gareth joined Montanaro in 2011, he manages Montanaro’s Trade Execution Desk and is a supervisor on the Fund Administration team. He also works on a broad range of areas including regulatory shareholding disclosure and Montanaro’s computer systems.
Qualifications
- BSc (Honours) Economics and Mathematical Sciences
Personal
Gareth enjoys many sports, in particular football, he has the important role of organising Montanaro’s 5-a-side matches and is always looking for new opponents.
Tennis is another favourite of Gareth’s, although his attempts to copy the techniques of Roger Federer only result in frustration. Having recently become a father there is now less time to practice, but perhaps his daughter will take-up tennis with him in future.
Gareth completed the Paris Marathon in 2017, he enjoys cycling and running to keep fit. He has also completed the London to Brighton cycle ride and ascended Britain’s three highest peaks. More recently he has discovered a passion for skiing and enjoys visiting the French Alps, attempting to master his technique in between the ‘Apres’.
If Gareth is not found ascending mountains or skiing down them he will probably be found enjoying food and drink with family and friends.
Professional
Rachel graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2005 with a BA Honours in German and Russian. During her course she spent a year abroad studying in Jena, Germany and St.Petersburg, Russia.
After graduating Rachel spent a year working at the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims before moving to Uralsib Securities to utilise her Russian language skills as a desk assistant. She spent three months working in Moscow before moving to Renaissance Capital where she worked on the sales-trading desk and later in trade support.
Rachel joined Montanaro in 2013.
Qualifications
- BA Honours in German and Russian – University of Nottingham (2005)
Personal
In her spare time Rachel enjoys receiving her marching orders at military fitness bootcamps. A keen runner she has completed a number of half marathons as well as the Berlin Marathon. She has recently learned to salsa and regularly puts on her dancing shoes and hits the dance floor with a mojito or two!
Rachel enjoys to travel and keen to experience more of Russian life Rachel spent a summer working on a children’s' camp in central Russia teaching children English and even had a guest appearance on the local TV station. Her other adventures include elephant trekking in Thailand, quad biking in the Sinai desert, paragliding in Turkey and swimming with dolphins in Mexico. Her dream is to see the gorillas in the wild so will hopefully be able to add that to the list soon!
Professional
Aaron graduated from Durham University where he read Economics & Politics. Following graduation in 2012, Aaron worked as a Tax Associate in PricewaterhouseCoopers, specialising in VAT. In 2015, he started a role as a Fund Accountant in Citco Fund Services (Singapore). Prior to joining Montanaro, Aaron completed an MBA at Hult International Business School.
Aaron joined Montanaro in 2017.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) Economics & Politics – Durham University (2012)
- MBA – Hult International Business School (2017)
Personal
Aaron is passionate about sports, particularly football, squash and more recently padel. He represented schools and played football at college-level in University, and has continued to play since but a knee injury sustained during military service in Singapore ruled out any chance of a fulfilling his childhood dream of playing for Liverpool!
In addition to sports, Aaron enjoys spending time with family and friends, and travelling with them.
Professional
Harry joined Montanaro in 2018 after graduating from the University of Exeter with a degree in Geography in 2018.
He spent three months in Myanmar working for Aequitas Holdings as a Management Intern which consisted of on the ground research into new business ventures for Aequitas. Harry also interned at Velocity Trade where he gained experience of Sell side sales and trading.
Harry is part of the Business Development team at Montanaro covering Wealth Managers across the UK.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) in Geography - University of Exeter (2018)
Personal
In his spare time Harry is an avid sportsman. He can be found regularly on the golf course, playing cricket for his local team in Kent, or watching Harlequins RFC at the stoop in Twickenham.
Professional
Mark spent four years studying at Coventry University where he gained a degree in Business Studies. From there he joined Aberdeen Asset Management PLC where he undertook various roles in the London, Irish, Scottish, American and Singaporean offices before settling into a statistical analysis role in the Company Secretarial department.
Mark left the City to become self-employed in sporting promotion, merchandise and media before joining Seetec Ltd as an Employment Consultant charged with the task of case loading and retraining the long term unemployed as part of the Government’s New Deal initiative.
Mark joined Montanaro in August 2006.
Qualifications
- Bsc Honours in Business Studies - Coventry University (1998)
Personal
Mark’s love of all things Disney is quite apparent, his house is often referred to as a shrine and virtually all his holidays involve a Disney theme park destination; in fact, despite going to Paris three or four times a year, he has only been to the city once. Mark reads mostly Disney history and Star Trek books, enjoys computer and board games, and supports Arsenal FC and the San Francisco Giants (baseball).
Mark is a light hearted jack of all trades who has a spreadsheet for everything and is willing to give anything a go.
Professional
Lowri completed her A-levels in 2006 and went on to study Biology at the University of Leeds for two years. Lowri then moved to London and attended Quest Professional College, where she studied marketing. She worked as a PA in a boutique asset management company for just over a year before moving to Montanaro to work in the Marketing team. In 2018 Lowri became PA to Charles Montanaro.
Lowri joined Montanaro in 2011.
Qualifications
- Introductory Certificate in Marketing – The Chartered institute of Marketing
- Award in First Line Management – The Institute of Leadership & Management
Personal
Lowri has always taken a particular interest in the outdoors; enjoying skiing, sailing, walking and running! In 2005 Lowri successfully climbed Kilimanjaro and soaked up some of the local culture by helping out in an orphanage and experiencing a three day safari. More recently she raised money for the Samaritans with the help of Montanaro's matched charitable giving scheme by completing the London marathon in April 2013, and the Berlin Marathon in 2014! Where will her running take her next?
She is keen to see the world and explore different ways of life, having travelled to India and most recently Australia she is now planning her next trip to South America! Cities closer to home that she has loved exploring are Berlin and Istanbul.
Lowri enjoys all London has to offer; she loves visiting art galleries, her favourites being the Tate, where she has a membership, and the Royal Academy. Lowri particularly enjoyed the Ai Weiwei exhibition last year. Lowri is a big music fan and loves discovering a new band or gig venue.
Professional
Karis completed a legal secretary course in 2011 and from there she entered the City as a corporate receptionist for two different companies. The first was a serviced office where she acted as the front of house for 42 different companies and the second was a large investment bank.
Karis joined Montanaro in 2015.
Personal
Karis enjoys spending time in the gym to help her “get fit regime”. This can be a struggle, however, as away from the office and the gym Karis is likely to be found eating out with friends at quirky restaurants and has a certain taste for chocolate fudge brownies!
Karis also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, doing fun activities and getting away on holiday to enjoy the sunshine whenever possible.