Kevin Boscher has been appointed as Ravenscroft’s chief investment officer.
The role has been created in response to the investment services company’s recent growth which has seen acquisitions, expansion to new jurisdictions and assets under administration reaching £7.36bn.
“This is a fantastic appointment for Ravenscroft. Having worked in the investment industry for more than 35 years, Kevin’s reputation precedes him and he will be instrumental in ensuring that as Ravenscroft continues to expand, our clients’ investment expectations are met and that we provide consistent, high quality, information, research and advice,” said Mark Bousfield, group managing director.
Ravenscroft, which has offices in Guernsey, Jersey and the UK, opened an office in Monaco earlier this year and now offers execution only trading, advisory investment services, discretionary investment management, market making, corporate finance services, cash management and the dealing in and storage of gold, silver, platinum and palladium via BullionRock.
Its recent interim results show that assets under administration had increased 57% year on year, revenue had grown by 39% to £14.04m and trading profit had increased by 99%.
“The growth and expansion has been considerable in a short amount of time which is testament to the team we have, the vision and support of the board and most importantly the loyalty of our clients. We are looking at additional jurisdictions as well as acquisitions to expand our UK footprint so one of Kevin’s focuses will be to integrate our investment processes to ensure, from a group perspective, that we use our resources, wherever they are, as effectively as possible, and, from a client’s perspective, that they understand all of our offerings and receive the best service we can deliver.”
Mr Boscher, who regularly appears as an industry commentator on CNBC, said moving to Ravenscroft was an exciting challenge. He described the company as being entrepreneurial, dynamic, energetic and having a “can do” approach.
“I am hoping that the experiences that I have learned and the skills that I have gained through my many years in the investment industry will both complement and add to an already excellent investment process and offering,” he said.
“My personal view is that the global economic and investment environment is going to be very challenging over the next few years, perhaps more so than we have experienced for some time. Ravenscroft’s independence allows it to be agile so I am certain that we can overcome whatever is thrown at us and continue to do an excellent job for our clients. In particular, I hope my skills and experience in areas such as global macro analysis, investment strategy, fund selection, risk management and client and media presentations, will really add value.
“There is so much that I want to do immediately and I’m sure that my new colleagues already have a long list for me, so time management and prioritising will be important. Ravenscroft is going to be a different environment for me but it’s a change that I relish and look forward to.”