Personal and professional pride

Back in 2016, Van Lanschot Kempen had just acquired MN UK. They were looking for investment strategists to work on an entirely new investment philosophy that would resonate with the UK fiduciary management landscape, with the backing of a well-capitalised bank. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

As Head of Investment Strategy in the UK, my responsibilities are four-fold: I’m responsible for asset allocation decisions on behalf of our UK clients; defining our research agenda; supporting colleagues in the Wholesale & Institutional Clients segment on winning new business; and working with the UK management team to set the growth direction of the UK business. In 2021, I was proud to be named Investment Manager of the Year by Professional Pensions, the biggest pensions-focused publication in the UK. They looked at what our portfolio achieved during the previous year, and how we identified and took opportunities for our clients in the immediate aftermath of the start of the pandemic. Our portfolio was also deemed to have performed among the best, and with the lowest level of risk, compared with our competitors.

From a personal perspective, 2021 was also an exciting year. I moved house to get more green space, so it takes me a little longer on the train to work. But more importantly, my son was born in July and I was able to take shared parental leave to spend time with him. The company’s attitude towards these personal milestones has been wonderful – they genuinely care about their employees as individuals.

Nikesh Patel – Head of Investment Strategy, UK