A history

Church House is a fund and portfolio manager offering specialist services to individuals, financial professionals and institutions for over 20 years. We manage a range of six funds for use by advisers and wealth managers and as the ‘building blocks’ of our discretionary managed private client portfolios.
 

With assets under management in excess of £1 billion, we have enjoyed significant growth without losing the key strengths of a private and independently owned company. Church House propositions are regularly reviewed and refined to ensure continued suitability for our professional and private clients. We have worked hard to maintain the stability that our clients and supporters value. Our primary objective is to provide investors with the returns they expect, without the shocks they fear, through the management of risk to fund and portfolio mandates.

The Architects of Future Prosperity

We blend together a set of skills and strengths to support differing propositions, which are carefully designed to meet the varying needs of investors. Over time, our investment style has proved it can deliver returns in line with expectations and, when partnered with the highest standard of service, our clients are reassured that their wealth is in good hands. 

Stability

What investors want from a manager is stable returns and a reliable relationship. We support the wealth of generations and, as such, always focus on what is best for the long-term interests of our clients

Journey

Every investor will have a differing objective and as such the path to prosperity varies from person to person. The same goes for charities and trustees who operate under different priorities. The constant is our offer of choice and flexibility

Guidance

Expertise matched with calm and considered advice allows us to build the trust that helps investors and industry professionals make informed investment decisions

Experience

The business is the optimal blend of wisdom gained over many years in investment management combined with new thinking from enthusiastic young practitioners

Support

At the heart of how we do things is service and support. It is delivered to the highest possible standards and at all times with a focus on the needs of a client or business partner

Investment Philosophy

An important consideration for anyone selecting an investment manager is understanding the philosophy that guides their decision making. Across are the key features of the Church House approach.

Avoiding the permanent loss of capital

We consider the principal risk facing investors is not volatility but the permanent loss of capital

Investing with the same care and attention as if the money was our own

Never losing sight of the fact that the money we invest is of the utmost importance to those who have entrusted us with it

Process but not for process sake

Best practice and regulation dictate that robust processes are a pre-requisite for delivering returns in line with investors' expectations. We balance that by not over-engineering our business and working to tried and tested methodologies in the belief that a straightforward approach is best

Client focus

The investment team stays in touch with the needs of investors by working closely with our relationship managers and providing support for meetings with clients

Proven principles over predictions

Our approach is one based on selecting individual investments based on their quality, suitability and value within a disciplined risk framework

Our Management

The business is steered by Jeremy Wharton, CEO and Joint Chief Investment Officer. He and his fellow directors form the Executive Team, which oversees the delivery of strategy and day-to-day management of the company.

That team is supported by a Board which is chaired by Michael Baines and includes two Non-Executive Directors. 

Jeremy Wharton CEO & Joint CIO

Joined the business in 2004 after many years trading Gilts and Derivatives. Read more

  • 020 7534 9872
  • j.wharton@church-house.co.uk

James Mahon Joint CIO & Director

A respected figure in the world of investment management with nearly 40 years experience. Read more

James Johnsen Director

Joined Church House in 2003 following a career in the military which was followed by time with Merrill Lynch and an international private bank. 

  • 020 7534 9871
  • j.johnsen@church-house.co.uk

Roger Davis Managing Director

After many years service with Julius Bear, finally as Senior Vice-President of European Operations, he joined the company in 2004.

  • 01935 382657
  • r.davis@church-house.co.uk

Michael Baines Chairman

Michael has had a long and successful career in the investment industry and now holds a number of Board and Charitable roles. 

Andrew Martin-Smith Non-Exec Director

Andrew is a respected and well known figure in the fund management world and has been working with the business since 2005. He holds a number of senior posts across the industry. 

Dominic Gibbs Non-Exec Director

Dominic is a director, and a former Chief Operating Officer of, The Cayzer Trust Company Ltd, which owns a minority shareholding in Church House. A solicitor, chartered accountant and member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, he is a trustee of a number of Cayzer Family settlements.

Our People

A series of specialist teams support the smooth running of the products and services provided by Church House. 

Portfolio Services are managed by the Investment Team and supported by Client Services and Back-Office functions, while client interaction is the realm of our experienced Relationship Management Team. Fund sales are the domain of our Corporate Partners team and the business is ably assisted by support functions such as Marketing, Compliance and Finance.

Here are some of our client and partner facing personnel. 

Andrea Steel Head of Private Clients (South West)

Private Client Team

  • 01935 382625
  • a.steel@church-house.co.uk

Daniel Mason Client Director

Specialising in Trusts and Defined Contributions Pensions, Dan started with the business in 2006 having previously worked at Old Mill Financial Services in their pension division. 

  • 01935 382637
  • d.mason@church-house.co.uk

Amanda Loram Client Director

Amanda joined Church House in May 1999, following twenty-two years in the City as a Fund Manager. 

  • 01935 382621
  • a.loram@church-house.co.uk

James Edgedale Client Director

James joined after a hugely successful career spanning over thirty years at JM Finn. He was educated at Eton College and Bristol University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities.

  • 020 7534 9876
  • j.edgedale@church-house.co.uk

Robert Hunter Client Director

Rob qualified as a solicitor in 1996 but for the last 24 years has worked as a private client investment manager, most recently with Brown Shipley. Rob is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment.

  • 07811 880409
  • r.hunter@church-house.co.uk

Cranley Macfarlane Client Director

Cranley joined Church House following three years at Tellsons Investors as a fund manager. Prior to that, he worked for nine years as a private client investment manager at JM Finn.

  • 020 7167 8482.
  • c.macfarlane@church-house.co.uk

Joseph Manners Relationship Manager

Joined Church House in February 2020, after over five years at Investec Wealth and Investment. Joe manages his own clients and supports James Johnsen, Head of Private Clients.

  • 0207 1234 742
  • j.manners@church-house.co.uk

Sam Liddle Sales Director

Intermediary Sales

  • 07887 520621
  • s.liddle@church-house.co.uk

Matthew Goodsir Business Development Manager

Intermediary Sales

  • 020 7534 9877
  • m.goodsir@church-house.co.uk

Will Fairhurst Sales & Marketing

Will is a graduate of Sheffield University where he studied politics. He then went on to do a Masters in Marketing at Queen Mary University of London. 

  • 020 7167 8481
  • w.fairhurst@church-house.co.uk

Rory Campbell-Lamerton Fund Manager

Based in London, Rory joined Church House in 2012 and is co-Fund Manager of Church House UK Equity Growth, UK Smaller Companies Fund and the Esk Global Equity Fund. Read more.

  • 020 7534 9874
  • r.campbell-lamerton@church-house.co.uk

Fred Mahon Fund Manager

Fred manages our Human Capital Fund and co-manages our Esk Global Equity Fund Read more. 

  • 0207 534 9878
  • f.mahon@church-house.co.uk

Lucy Abel Smith Fixed Interest Portfolio Manager

Lucy spent 25 years in the fixed interest department at NCL Investments/Smith & Williamson, latterly as a partner. She has a BSc in Economics & Statistics from University College London and supports Jeremy Wharton & James Mahon on the CHIG & Tenax funds focusing on their bond investments.

  • 020 7534 9875
  • l.abelsmith@church-house.co.uk

Craig Elsworth Portfolio Manager

Investment Team 

  • 01935 382648
  • c.elsworth@church-house.co.uk

Chris Stone Client Services Manager

  • 01935 382631
  • c.stone@church-house.co.uk

Mark Davidson Distribution and Marketing Director

Management

  • 01935 382656
  • m.davidson@church-house.co.uk

Stephen Kershaw Company Secretary

  • 01935 382608
  • s.kershaw@church-house.co.uk

Jonathan Howland Compliance Officer

Management

  • 01935 382613
  • j.howland@church-house.co.uk

Mike Green Operational Assurance Manager

  • 01935 382632
  • m.green@church-house.co.uk