Our People
What makes Threadneedle people different
At Threadneedle we're proud of a culture that encourages openness and
cooperation. Our senior managers are generous with their insights and
open-minded to the collective views of the desk. And, because they are highly
experienced, they are bold and decisive when it comes to choosing
investments.
A potent mix of skills
Each investment team balances risk takers and insightful thinkers. While we
encourage flair and imagination in all our people, every decision they make is
based on shared knowledge of the best ideas.
Together, we develop these ideas through rigorous research, robust thinking
and thorough debate.
On these pages you'll find more information about some of our key people,
and learn why Threadneedle continues to attract the best people from across the
investment industry.
Simon Davies
Chairman
Simon Davies joined Threadneedle in 1995 and built up the investment
department, before becoming Chief Executive Officer in 1999. After overseeing a
period of major expansion and corporate change, in 2007 Simon became Executive
Chairman.
Simon is a former Chairman of the Investment Management Association.
Threadneedle Career
1999 became Chief Executive Officer
1995 joined as Chief Investment Officer
Previous experience
1986 - 1995 Gartmore
Joined Gartmore as a pension fund manager; appointed to the board of Gartmore
pension fund managers; transferred to international investment management as
head of global funds in 1990; became head of international equities.
1981 - 1986 Rothschild Asset
Management
Analyst and institutional fund manager

Crispin Henderson
Chief Executive Officer
Crispin joined Threadneedle in 2002 as Chief Operating Officer, leading the
finance, operations, administration and IT functions that have
earned Threadneedle its reputation for professionalism. Before becoming
Managing Director in 2006, Crispin chaired our Strategic Alliances Business
Management team.
Crispin is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and
Wales, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Chartered
Institute of Marketing.
Threadneedle Career
2007 became Chief Executive Officer
2006 became Managing Director
2002 joined Threadneedle as Chief Operating
Officer
Previous experience
1967 - 2002
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Served 35 years in total for PwC (and its predecessor firms) with 25 years as a
partner. Specialised in providing consulting, advisory and audit services to
major financial services clients.
Sarah Arkle
Chief Investment Officer
With a background in Far Eastern equity investment, Sarah Arkle was a
founding member of our investment team when the company was
established in 1994. She was instrumental in developing our investment
process.
As Chief Investment Officer Sarah chairs Threadneedle's Asset Allocation
Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee.
Threadneedle Career
2001 became Chief Investment Officer
1999 became Head of Equities and Managed
Funds
1997 became Head of International
Equities
1994 joined Threadneedle from Allied
Dunbar
Previous experience
1983 - 1994 Allied Dunbar
Asset Management
Allied Dunbar Asset ManagementJoined as Far East and Japan equity manager;
became director of Allied Dunbar Asset Management
1981 - 1986 WI Carr, (Overseas
Ltd)
Japanese equity sales
1978 - 1981 Save and
Prosper
Joined as a trainee
Don Jordison
Managing Director, Threadneedle Property Investments
Don Jordison was a founding member of Threadneedle's team when the business
was created in 1994. He is a trained chartered surveyor with over 20 years'
experience of property investment and an Associate Member of the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Threadneedle Career
2008 appointed Managing Director of
Threadneedle Property Investments.
Director in charge of the Strategic Property Unit Trust (since 2006) and the
Threadneedle Property Unit Trust (since 1998).
He also manages the Threadneedle UK Property Trust, the Threadneedle
European Property Fund, the Threadneedle Capital and Income Fund and the Zurich
Assurance Ltd AP Property Fund .
Previous experience
1991-1994 Director, Zurich
Assurance Ltd AL Property Fund
Qualifications
MBA, City University London (1988), first class honours degree in Urban
Estates Surveying, Nottingham Trent University (1984).

David Gasparro
Head of Distribution
David Gasparro's financial services career began as a UK economist at the
Bank of England. He joined Threadneedle in 2004 as Head of Distribution.
David is responsible for our global retail, institutional and
wholesale business, including client servicing, sales, product
development and marketing.
David is a member of the Threadneedle's Executive Committee.
Threadneedle Career
2004 joined Threadneedle
Previous experience
1992 - 2003 Schroders
UK economist, Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Investment Officer of the
retail business
1988 - 1992 Bank of
England
UK economist
Dominic Rossi
Head of Equities
Dominic Rossi joined Threadneedle in 1997, with a background in growth
investment at the Kuwait Investment Office and NPI.
As Head of Equities, Dominic has management responsibility for all
Threadneedle's equity products and for thematic research. Since 2003
he has managed Threadneedle's Riversource Global Equity Fund, after six
successful years managing our Latin America Growth Fund.
Dominic has served as a governor of several state schools and as a member of
Wandsworth Borough Council.
Threadneedle Career
2007 Head of Equities
2002 - 2007 Head of International and Global
Equities
2003 took over management of Riversource
Global Equity Fund
1997 - 2003 managed the Threadneedle Latin
America Growth Fund
Previous experience
1993 - 1997 NPI Portfolio
Manager
William Frewen
Head of Fixed Income
William Frewen joined Threadneedle in 2007 with over 20 years' experience of
fixed income and credit investment at firms including JP
Morgan, HSBC and Nomura.
He is responsible for managing Threadneedle's Fixed Income team and
developing our fixed income business and strategy.
William holds several non-executive directorships and is an FSA registered
representative.
Threadneedle Career
2007 joined as Head of Fixed Income
Previous experience
2001 - 2007 Consultant and small
company investor
1998 - 2001 Nomura; head of bond
trading
1994 - 1998 HSBC; head of credit
trading
1992 - 1994 JP Morgan; VP credit
trading
1984 - 1992 Credit Suisse First
Boston; co-head sales
1981 - 1984 Chemical Bank; commodity finance
group
1987 - 1993 Kuwait Investment Office Portfolio Manager
1987 - 1993 Kuwait Investment
Office
Portfolio Manager
Philip Best
Chief Risk Officer
Philip Best joined Threadneedle in 2007 as our Chief Risk Officer and head
of the Quantitative Research team, responsible for measuring,
monitoring and reporting investment risk.
He has worked on financial markets risk since 1985, and in 1998 published
one of the first books on VAR, Implementing Value at Risk.
Threadneedle Career
2007 joined as Chief Risk Officer
Previous experience
1985 - 2007held consulting and industry
positions in financial markets, including:
- Head of Risk at
UFJI
- Director of Market
Risk for Abbey National
- Director of Trading
Risk at Hambros
Philip Reed
General Counsel
Philip Reed joined Threadneedle in 2007, having previously been a partner at
Norton Rose and a barrister in the chambers of Robert Webb QC.
As General Counsel Philip delivers legal and compliance advice to
the Board, manages the legal, compliance and company secretarial
functions and liaises with Ameriprise General Counsel.
Philip is a member of the Law Society, the Bar of England and Wales, and the
American Bar Association.
Threadneedle Career
2007 joined as General Counsel
Previous experience
1998 - 2006 Norton Rose
Partner
1985 - 1998 Chambers of Robert
Webb QC
Barrister
William Lowndes
Head of US Distribution
William Lowndes is responsible for the management of Threadneedle's
North American business. He manages business development in the region
and helps manage the company's relationship with Ameriprise.
William joined Threadneedle in 1998 as Head of European Compliance, having
previously worked in compliance at Goldman Sachs and Fidelity.
William practised for several years at the English Bar.
Threadneedle Career
2006 appointed Head of US Distribution
2002 became head of Legal Compliance and
Audit
1998 joined as Head of European
Compliance
Previous experience
1991 - 1998 Goldman Sachs Asset
Management
Head of legal and compliance for both the institutional and fund businesses;
responsible for managing strategic relationships, acquisitions and business
development in Europe and Asia.
1986 - 1991 Fidelity
Joined as head of compliance for the UK; became director of legal and
compliance for retail and institutional across Europe and Asia.
Christian Pellis
Head of European Distribution
Christian Pellis is responsible for developing Threadneedle's
wholesale and retail European businesses. In 1998 he
established Threadneedle's sales presence in Germany and was then instrumental
in extending the company's product distribution across the other principal
European markets.
In 2005 Christian led Threadneedle's entry into the European
institutional markets with a launch in the Nordic region. Since then
he has added the Switzerland, Netherlands, and Germany to Threadneedle's
institutional activities.
Threadneedle Career
2004 appointed Head of European
Distribution
2000 appointed Regional Sales Director,
Europe
1998 joined as co-head of German sales
Previous experience
1993 - 1998 Fleming Fund Management
(Luxembourg)
Various roles in administration and project management; responsible for the
development of an electronic communication strategy for the intermediary market
in Europe.
Maddi Forrester
Head of UK Distribution
Maddi Forrester manages Threadneedle's sales process,
working with the intermediary industry and managing all aspects of client
service.
Maddi joined Threadneedle in 1995 with a background in fixed income
investment at UBS and JP Morgan.
Threadneedle Career
2006 became Head of UK Distribution
2005 - 2006 Head of UK Institutional
Business
2003 - 2005 Fixed Income Investment
Specialist
1995 - 2005 Head of Insurance Asset
Management
1995 joined as Fund Manager (fixed
income)
Previous experience
1994 - 1995 UBS Limited
Fixed income sales
1988 - 1994 JP Morgan Investment
Management
Portfolio Manager
Lorin Gresser
Head of Product Strategy
Lorin Gresser is responsible for continuing Threadneedle's history of
innovative product development, and for the key commercial and
business aspects of our Crescendo funds.
Lorin joined Threadneedle as Director of Corporate Strategy in 2000, and
subsequently ran our alternative investment business. She is a member of the
Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA).
Threadneedle Career
2004 - 2006 Head of alternative investment
business
2000 - 2004 Director of corporate
strategy
Previous experience
1998 - 2000 Boston Consulting
Group; financial services
Consultant
1991 - 1996 Barclays
Group
worked across a number of areas including, corporate planning and corporate
finance, played a key role in the acquisition and integration of Barclays
Global Investors.