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PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR
Lord Verjee of Portobello RUMI FOUNDATION
‘Giving back really nourishes the soul,’ says Lord Verjee (below), the entrepreneur and Liberal Democrat peer who was recognised for his contributions to society via the Rumi Foundation. ‘I’m an immigrant to this coun- try and I came with very little except for a good education. And I always believe that you first have to look after yourself, [then] look after your family, you look after your community and then hopefully you give back to your country, and if you’re lucky, you can give back to the planet. So that is the ethos of our family foundation.’ The Ugandan-born Lord Verjee made his name by bringing Domino’s Pizza to the UK. This, and entrepreneurial activities, helped to grow his net worth to around £165 million, by some estimates. He has donated around £35 million towards philanthropic projects. The Rumi Foundation aims to identify and
HNW WEALTH MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Mary Haly WAVERTON
It’s been a whirlwind three years for Mary Haly since she joined Waverton. Having grown her team’s assets under management from £60 million to just short of £200 mil- lion, her results speak for themselves. But she notes that much of her success has been achieved by building and cultivating existing client relationships. ‘I’ve been quite success- ful in doing that,’ she notes with an under- stated confidence. ‘We’re very focused on cli- ents. They are treated individually and they really love that – they get a lot of attention.’ Collectively, the teams at Waverton know ‘100 stocks really well and 30 to 40 incredi- bly well’, says Haly. ‘I think clients feel that the companies they are investing in are really well researched, and are tomorrow’s compa- nies for investment.’ With markets at all-time highs, some won-
der whether a correction is coming. But Haly remains sanguine: ‘With opening up, and with the fact that quite a lot of people have been savers, we do think the propensity to spend will continue and we will see profitability improve.’
Haly has also spearheaded the firm’s en- hanced responsible investment service, which serves ‘clients who want to focus on empha- sising helping the environment, health and wellbeing, and positive social practices’. She connects this to family fishing expeditions in South Africa, where she grew up. Noting the calming properties of time spent out on the water, she adds: ‘I would say you feel very close to God, or very close to nature. You can spend quite a lot of time when nothing hap- pens, and then it all goes completely frenetic.’ Her firm certainly seems to be sailing in the right direction – partly thanks to its philosophy of being ‘investment-led, client- driven’. Haly concludes: ‘We feel that Waver- ton is starting to gain momentum.’ RNS
companies they are investing in are really well researched
I think clients feel that the
nurture the talents of young people, particu- larly among minority and underprivileged communities. ‘What keeps me awake at night is the huge inequality in the world,’ he says. ‘Every time we have a crisis, a financial crisis – and now the pandemic – inequality rises.’ He is heartened by the fact that leaders within the impact space are getting younger and younger. ‘I’ve had the good fortune to get to know Malala – that was a young person’s work born out of tragedy and hardship. And you look at Greta today, another young per- son who’s really inspiring future leaders. That’s great to see.’ RS
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