For this month’s meet the team post, we would like to introduce you to Gareth Lewis.
Gareth is Hartsfield’s in-house Portfolio Manager and heads up Hartsfield Investment. During his 16 years in financial services, Gareth has worked for some of the biggest finance companies in the industry, including St James’s Place, UBS, and Close Brothers.
Let’s find out some more about him.
Gareth took an early interest in the markets
Gareth’s interest in personal finance and investment management started at a young age. As a child, he would regularly scour the FT looking to find undervalued stocks and shares to invest in. His first investment came at age 13 and the stock he bought managed to net him an impressive 200% return.
After completing a BA in International Finance at Portsmouth University, Gareth worked as an Investment Reviewer with Lloyds Private Bank. Later, he made the move from his hometown of Oxford to the bright lights of London to work as a Financial Adviser for St James’s Place.
Gareth spent eight years enjoying London life within financial planning before growing tired of the hustle and bustle of the UK’s finance capital. He relocated to Bristol and spent a year working with Close Brothers before coming to join Hartsfield’s Bristol team as the in-house Portfolio Manager, as well as heading up the Hartsfield Investment division.
Gareth joins the Hartsfield family
On working at Hartsfield, Gareth says that what matters most is “working alongside an ambitious and driven team while still maintaining a family feel to the organisation.”
Although the company may be smaller than some of his previous employers, Gareth values the opportunity to participate in projects he otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to be involved in.
“In my previous organisations you can end up feeling like a small cog in a big wheel and you don’t feel that you are making a difference or having your voice heard. At Hartsfield, this isn’t the case.”
“I value the transparency and accountability at Hartsfield,” Gareth says. “As well as knowing that the management team and the company genuinely care about colleagues and want them to succeed.”
The day to day life of an Investment Portfolio Manager
As Investment Portfolio Manager, Gareth’s main role is to sculpt the Hartsfield Investment proposition which he has headed up since 2014.
On a daily basis, Gareth is responsible for facilitating client trades, rebalancing portfolios, monitoring macroeconomic events, monitoring the investment process, and dealing with corporate actions.
Gareth says that his favourite part of his job is ‘portfolio construction and fund selection.’ He loves identifying fund managers who can provide strong returns. As a result of the size of Hartsfield Investment, he also capitalises on being able to allocate capital to more boutique firms.
A lot has changed at Hartsfield Investment over the last 12 months. Gareth and his team have completely overhauled the investment proposition.
The current portfolio range has been drastically increased, now offering over 22 portfolio options. These include low-cost index-tracker portfolios, hybrid portfolios, and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) portfolio options.
The new proposition is now focused on goal-based investments rather than just hitting an arbitrary benchmark. Gareth says: “This means that we can accommodate a client’s specific wants and needs; we are more interested in meeting a client’s goals rather than just exceeding the benchmark.”
With the new proposition, Hartsfield can offer bespoke, tailored portfolios to each client according to their personal preferences, objectives, and circumstances. Hartsfield Investment has also taken the opportunity to substantially increase its ‘responsible portfolio’ range as a result of increased client demand for socially responsible investing.
Gareth believes that the future for Hartsfield Investment lies within ESG investing and bespoke portfolios.
“With everything that has happened this year with Covid-19, people are starting to realise that our actions have incredibly serious repercussions for the planet.”
Hartsfield is also looking to continue building on this idea by partnering with third-party firms who work closely with impact investment specialists. Impact investment specialises in developing profitable solutions to social and environmental challenges, leading to competitive financial performance.
As the business continues to grow, Gareth intends to streamline processes via technology, having already partnered with a company that will enable communication with clients to be more effective.
Looking to the future, Gareth says: “We will also be looking to obtain discretionary fund management permissions – for clients who want more of a hands-off, leave-us-to-it approach.”
Life outside of work
Gareth says that he loves living and working in Bristol.
“Bristol has been recognised as a Green City and Green Capital. I think this shows that a lot of people locally share my views on environmental protection.”
As well as being recognised as a Green Capital, Bristol is also home to the Soil Association and Sustrans, the sustainable charity which developed the National Cycle Network.
In his spare time, Gareth loves keeping active.
“Living on the harbourside, the city offers a lot of opportunity for sporting activities including, like paddleboarding, rowing, and sailing.”
Bristol has also been recognised as the UK’s first Cycling City and is home to the BetterByBike Scheme – a scheme that allows people based in Bristol to borrow a free electric, hybrid, or folding bike.
Growing up in the country, Gareth says that he is a country boy at heart. However, he loves the buzz of a city.
“Bristol combines vibrant city life with great restaurants such as the Michelin star-awarded Casamia, while also only being an hour and a half from the great beaches of Cornwall and Devon.”