Where did you work previously and what attracted you to join the NWF?
Immediately before joining NWF, I was with Macquarie, responsible for a portfolio of renewable energy projects. Prior to that I qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte and then went into a banking career, including with JP Morgan, Standard Chartered and UK Green Investment Bank.
At UK Green Investment Bank, I had the opportunity to use my knowledge and experience from a career in banking to help set up a government-backed bank from scratch, with a mandate to accelerate the UK’s green transition. When a similar opportunity arose with the NWF, I jumped at the chance.
What does your role involve?
As Chief Risk Officer, I lead the Risk and Compliance teams. We are responsible for implementing the Risk Management and Compliance frameworks across the NWF, which includes assessing the impact and likelihood of the most significant risks facing the organisation, our risk appetite, the credit and KYC opinions on our investments at origination and while in the portfolio, assessing the effectiveness of our controls and investigating risk events.
What is the NWF like to work for?
We are still a relatively small organisation and can move quickly to make decisions, given the flat structure and short chains of command. We also have a strong sense of purpose for what we are doing and operate at a high professional standard as well as a determination to have fun while we are doing it.
The NWF has a strong pipeline of investments and I’m looking forward to developing this further in the new sectors through our increased mandate. We will be looking to expand our teams to meet this new challenge.
What do you enjoy most about being based in Leeds?
We are helping to develop a strong financial centre in Leeds and this means bringing in some expertise from outside the area but, more importantly, helping to develop those skills locally. For example, our internship programme recruits predominantly from local universities.
Given that we investing in projects all over the UK, Leeds is a very convenient location when we need to physically engage with management or for site visits, and there is a good supporting infrastructure of professional advisers in the city.
What are your highlights since joining the NWF?
I am very proud that we have built an organisation of this stature and achievement in three short years, earning the confidence of our shareholder to transition into the National Wealth Fund with additional capital to invest in important projects around the UK.
What would you say to anyone thinking of applying for a role here?
Whether you are currently working in the private or public sector, or indeed still a student, I’d strongly encourage you to think about the NWF for your next career move.
We can offer you a really rewarding opportunity to learn how public and private sectors come together to invest in some really important areas of the economy and support the transition to Net Zero. You will learn a lot and be joining an engaged, smart and fun team.