Investment Philosophy

WAM distinguishes itself within the traditional world of asset management by thinking like an owner. This stems from Edward Whitley’s own experience of managing the proceeds of the sale of his shareholding in Greenall Whitley. This capital had been accumulated over several generations. Edward’s management of this capital over the ten years between 1990 and 2000 formed the backbone of the investment philosophy that defines WAM.

Within the WAM team we thoroughly understand that our clients’ capital is irreplaceable. We appreciate the responsibility of safeguarding capital for future generations and the pressure this brings. We understand the pain of seeing capital lose value and we understand that capital preservation is a dynamic and vigilant activity.

The prime distinction that we draw between our approach and that of many traditional financial institutions is that we are privately owned and impartial. Within the general private client investment industry, we have seen portfolio management compromised by issues such as the use of overpriced, underperforming in-house funds, high staff turnover and poorly planned asset allocations, leading to mediocre service and performance.

Since WAM is impartial as to where any investment is made, the team focuses entirely upon investment strategy, performance and our service to our clients.

WAM has no inducements to place funds in any particular investment. Our remuneration is transparent with no hidden incentive structures. WAM is not compromised by offering financial products which might have higher fees than others.

What we seek to achieve

  • Allocate capital with a long term view
  • Think like a business owner in terms of quality of investments
  • Select a limited number of investments that are focused and consistently managed
  • Generate bespoke portfolios, which fulfil our clients’ mandates to us

Finally, wherever possible, WAM negotiates fees on our clients’ behalf down to highly competitive levels.