About Authentic Management

I founded Authentic Management in May 2016 as I wanted to live a life more interesting, more fun, more diversified and more challenging. I wanted to invest intelligently with thought and passion, in projects and ventures that truly excited me, that were tangible, that were far removed from the nearly 20 years I had in front of a screen as an investment bank trader.

Investments you can enjoy with family and friends, that prioritise experiences and friendship over that last basis point of return – the shared journeys: these matter most. I call this core approach “balanced lifestyle investing” (a better kind of acronymised Bling!). Within this framework, however, Authentic Management still absolutely seeks strong and diversified returns for its portfolio.

Authentic Management aims to connect investors with unique opportunities that focus beyond the traditional and often predictable route of financial markets of equity indices, bonds or foreign exchange. The focus is on real, tangible investing, primarily in people, but also naturally in property and individual businesses, rather than in ethereal financial concepts. Living life and investing with substance, pride, intelligence and ambition.

The common thread with all the projects (including the properties) in the Authentic portfolio, is that I am an investor in all of them. This naturally limits the size of the overall investments that I am looking at. I believe in them, not just with words and a sales pitch, but with my time and my money. Some would see this as an obvious conflict, but hopefully most will acknowledge this as a proof of belief, of validation that I want to invest in these projects with you, that I want these projects to truly succeed.

Commitment. Partnership. Shared ambition. Alignment of interests. Together. Balanced lifestyle investing.

Keep smiling,

James Pearson

Education

  • 1990-1992: 3 As at A-level – Economics, English Literature, Politics & Government, Bradford Grammar School
  • 1993-1996: II.i Philosophy, Politics & Economics at Mansfield College, University of Oxford (MA Oxon)

Career

Starting on the graduate rotation course, I progressed to hold a variety of local, regional and global roles, running not only Foreign Exchange trading teams but also entire businesses, focussing on both G10 and Emerging Markets countries, ending in my final role as Global Head of Foreign Exchange Trading at RBS: a business with revenues >£1 billion with several hundred employees across >20 countries.

References available:

  • 1996-2000: Citi (London)
  • 2000-2003: HSBC (Hong Kong)
  • 2003-2008: Lehman Brothers (London, NYC, Singapore, Tokyo)
  • 2008-2011: Nomura International (London, NYC, Singapore, Tokyo)
  • 2011-2016: RBS (numerous countries)