Speaker: Laurence Hulse
Laurence joined Dowgate Wealth in September 2022 as an Investment Director. Laurence started his career at Gresham House in 2015, around the time of its inception, and worked on a number of outperforming equity products as part of a small team during that time. At the time of his departure from Gresham House, he had co-managed or deputised on a number of equity funds; namely Gresham House Strategic plc (now called Rockwood Strategic plc), Strategic Public Equity Fund LP and Gresham House Smaller Companies Fund. He was awarded both AAA and AA-ratings by Citywire during this time and two of these co-managed funds achieved FE ‘5-crown’ ratings while he was part of the team working on them. During his tenure, the company grew from a handful of employees and less than £50m assets to over 200 employees and in excess of £7.0bn of assets.
Laurence joined Dowgate to pursue a long-held ambition to build and manage an investment vehicle tailored for HNWIs & Family Offices focused on special situations in the UK, which perfectly aligns with the Dowgate ethos.
As an investor, Laurence strongly believes in creating value through change; whether that be strategic, operational or personnel within a business – particularly in small and micro-cap companies where the impacts of these changes tend to be most tangible. He prides himself on working actively with the Boards and Exec teams of investments to drive shareholder value through the investment cycle. He holds a truly active approach to investment management by applying private equity techniques to publicly listed companies. His enthusiasm and drive have allowed him to successfully garner a track record of outperformance and close industry network throughout his career in the City.
Speaker: Chris Hough
Chris is Chief Financial Officer of Foxtons Group plc. He joined Foxtons in May 2019 as the Group’s Director of Finance before being appointed as CFO in April 2022. Chris’ key responsibilities include delivering the Group’s financial strategy and supporting Guy Gittins, CEO, in the development and delivery of the Group’s strategic priorities. Prior to joining Foxtons, Chris spent over 10 years within Deloitte’s Audit and Assurance practice where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
Speaker: Martin Reith
Martin Reith has nearly 40 years' experience across underwriting, management and leadership. Prior to joining Helios as a Non-Executive Director in 2021, he held board positions at Neon Underwriting Limited, as CEO from 2015 to 2019 and then assumed a Non-Executive role until 2020.
Martin was the Founder and CEO of Ascot Underwriting Limited, which he established in 2001 with the support and backing of AIG. Under his leadership, Ascot became one of the largest and top-performing businesses in Lloyd's with a network of overseas offices. In 2009, Martin stepped down as CEO and served as a Non-Executive on Ascot's Board from 2009 to 2011. Prior to Ascot, he served as CEO of XL Capital's Insurance Operations in London