who we are
We are consultants, with a core expertise in investment, which we apply to both our financial planning and our continuous investment services. We believe the best financial planning requires investment expertise and that the best investment management is organised to deliver specific, personal planning objectives.
Our investment expertise comes from the 'institutional' marketplace, where investors' use of consultants, technology and products is typically superior to that available within the 'retail' marketplace. The gulf between the two was a recurring theme of Stuart Fowler's book (published by FT Prentice Hall in 2002): No Monkey Business: what Investors need to know and why. Written for individuals, but also to challenge the retail financial services industry, the book set out the principles for an integrated approach to financial planning and investment management, based on technically robust methods and totally aligned with each client's interests.
In 2004, Stuart founded No Monkey Business to fill this gulf between what is available to institutional investors and private investors - in terms of knowledge, technology and products. It is a consultancy specifically focused on providing wealthy private investors with the same advantages enjoyed by institutional investors.
Still small, we think big. By combining the ethics of consultancy, theory-based methods, dedicated systems and a radical approach to the way people pay for our services, we have created a highly-differentiated consultancy business within the financial services market: a consultancy which will be equally attractive to its clients and to the finance professionals who advise them. As you can see from what our clients say about us, our solution is highly valued.
Stuart Fowler
Stuart is the founder of No Monkey Business and its main client adviser. He has worked in the investment industry for almost 40 years. As an institutional fund manager with Touche Remnant in the 1970s and Hill Samuel in the 1980s, he managed money for a wide range of clients, from overseas governments and pension funds to wealthy families and foundations.
In 1990 he set up Valu-Trac Investment Management to develop an innovative approach to investing, combining dynamic, computer-based asset allocation with the use of index-tracking funds. It was a very competitive international manager of US pension funds, thanks to good performance and large cost savings.
Six years later, he formed a business strategy consultancy in financial services. This led to the formation of a business in 1999, with Chris Drew (below), to develop a radically new concept in private client portfolio planning and management for delivery to investors directly through the Internet and indirectly through IFAs. Though short-lived, it gave a new focus to their consulting, as innovators in applying quantitative techniques within retail services ranging from financial advice to portfolio management.
In 2004, Stuart started No Monkey Business as a wealth management advisory firm embodying the thinking, principles and techniques drawn from his earlier career as an institutional money manager and business consultant.
As well as writing the book from which the business takes its name, he has contributed articles to the Financial Times, wealth management publications and journals of his own professional body, The CFA Institute. He is also one of very few 'bloggers' in this field. He is a graduate of Oxford University.
Joseph Clark
Joe is a director and senior client adviser. He has worked in the financial planning and wealth management business since 2002 after graduating with a BA in Business Studies from Bristol Business School. His particular expertise is in inheritance tax, trusts and retirement planning.
Prior to joining No Monkey Business, Joe was a director and shareholder of independent financial adviser Cavendish Medical where his clients were mainly medical and other professionals with high net worth. His role encompassed business development, financial planning and setting up and reviewing investment portfolios. At Cavendish he was an enthusiastic supporter of low-cost, passive and quantitative approaches to implementing clients' asset allocation.
He has spoken regularly at conferences, professional bodies and run workshops for professionals to encourage better understanding of retirement planning.
Jo Gray
Jo is director of operations with responsibility for systems, compliance and both business and client administration.
She is our clients' regular point of contact for the administration of their financial affairs, from information gathering when they first become a client, through setting up and supervising arrangements with third parties (product providers, external managers, the client's other advisers) to regular portfolio reporting.
Prior to joining No Monkey Business Jo performed a similar role for American stockbrokers Edward Jones.
Samuel Smith
Sam manages the day-to-day processes of our model-driven 'Defined Outcome' investment portfolios and the dealing for all our portfolios. He also supports our investment research for 'Defined Path' multi-asset class portfolios.
Prior to joining No Monkey Business, Sam worked as an IFA, acquiring basic advice qualifications. In this role he mainly draws on his earlier experience of business administration at Colefax and Fowler whom he joined after graduating from University College London.
Chris Drew
Chris acts as a consultant to No Monkey Business and (through Lambda Investment Technology, a separate investment technology business co-owned with Stuart) provides many of the technical resources which are at the heart of the No Monkey Business process. These range from designing computer models solving investment problems (dynamic asset allocation, resource planning, sustainable income drawdown, fund selection) to helping devise optimal approaches to the typical planning and investment choices faced by our clients. He also leads our systems development, whether producing internal solutions or managing projects outsourced to other developers.
Before No Monkey Business was formed he collaborated with Stuart on business consulting projects, including advising Egg on a new mass-market advice format and developing a ground-breaking fund selection application.
He is a graduate of Lancaster University in Management Sciences and later studied investment management at the London Business School.
