Our Core Functions

Investment Teams typically draw talent from our investment graduate recruitment programme. The investment teams analyse companies and construct portfolios. We take a bottom up approach to investing, looking at the individual company rather than the economy in which they operate.

Our Client Service and Marketing department manages the relationship between the firm and our clients, ensuring that excellent service standards are maintained. They also take responsibility for marketing and build relationships with prospective clients and the consulting community which make fund manager recommendations.

The Dealing team execute orders on behalf of our Investment Managers. They achieve best execution by trading on a number of different platforms, venues and exchanges around the world, and deciding on the trading strategy that will ensure the best result for our clients, in accordance with our Execution Policy. All our trading occurs from here in Edinburgh.

The Settlements department is made up of three teams. Trade Processing ensure the timely settlement of all investment transactions. The Corporate Actions team ensures clients’ entitlements are protected at all times whilst the Cash Management team effectively monitor clients’ cash positions

Client Administration is the first port of call for our institutional clients on all investment administration topics. The department strives to build strong & proactive relationships with both internal and external clients to offer an efficient, accurate yet bespoke service regarding the key areas of post-trade investment transactional activity for our institutional clients. The department is underpinned by a strong accounting knowledge foundation where everyone is encouraged to contribute their ideas for enhancing the service we provide.

The Performance Analysis Department is responsible for calculating accurate performance measurement and attribution information for portfolios across the firm. It is also responsible for ensuring Baillie Gifford remains compliant with relevant performance standards. The team divide their workload between providing performance information for regular requests, processing quarterly client reports and responding to ad hoc queries from clients and consultants.

The Investment Risk department sits independently from the investment teams and reports to the Investment Risk Committee, which has the role of ultimate oversight on investment risk issues. The department provide an independent check on levels and sources of investment risk, and monitor the guidelines for each investment strategy. The department also provide a value adding research function to the investment teams, covering a wide variety of investment and portfolio construction topics.

The Corporate Governance Team researches companies’ approaches to managing environmental, social and governance issues, votes at shareholder meetings globally, engages with companies on these issues, and provides investment managers with company specific analysis. We also meet clients on a regular basis to discuss all of the above.

The Compliance Department operates to protect our clients, firm and staff by fostering compliant and ethical outcomes. The objective of the function is to minimise the likelihood of compliance risks materialising and manage regulatory risk within the agreed risk appetite. The Department has three teams; a Conduct Assurance team, an Advisory team and a Regulatory Developments team. Assurance is provided to senior management through reports to Boards and Committees.

The Legal Department role is to assist the business by identifying and managing legal, regulatory and money laundering risks. Our activities focus on contract negotiation; projects that require legal input, for example the creation of new products and fund structures; general legal advice to the business; regulatory filings to both regulators and companies around the world; and anti-money laundering and data protection compliance.

Business Risk ensures that the risk management framework is aligned with our Partnership’s strategy and culture. This includes regular assessment of risk exposures against the agreed risk appetite and the resulting adequacy of the control environment, capital, liquidity, insurance and business recovery plans. We focus on the key risks, helping the firm to avoid, pre-empt or mitigate serious issues, invest in improving client service and learn from our mistakes, and preserve the culture.

Internal Audit provides the Partnership with independent and objective assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of the firm’s internal risk, control and governance processes. An internal audit plan is approved by the Audit Committee on an annual basis and is formally re-assessed at the half year. Findings from internal audits are discussed and agreed with management, with a summary of findings reported to the Audit Committee.

European Fund Operations is a multi-disciplinary team responsible for Registration, Corporate and Fund Accounting. They look after the administration of our UCITS funds.

The Investment Trust department is responsible for the provision of high levels of service in administrative support, secretarial services and accounting information for the Investment Trusts managed by Baillie Gifford. The department ensures the legal obligations imposed upon Baillie Gifford & Co, as the appointed company secretary to the Trusts, are met fully.

Central Operations comprises of two teams, both of which perform central functions in very different ways. The Data Management function is responsible for ensuring the data utilised within the Firm is fit for purpose along with delivering a specialist business reporting function. The Operations Learning and Development team are responsible for creating technical training and building business knowledge, across our operational teams.

The IS department is responsible for delivering the systems the firm needs to run its business. The infrastructure teams maintain and develop our extensive IT estate, including Networks and Security, VMWare, Oracle, to desktops, iPads and mobiles. The Applications team provide the business with custom and packaged software developments, working primarily with Oracle and SQL databases and developing in .NET.

Human Resources provides support to managers and staff on HR issues. Some of our key focus areas include recruiting staff, providing support for training and development and ensuring that our salary and benefits packages are competitive.

The Finance Department provides financial reporting for the firm, including the preparation of partnership and statutory accounts, along with regulatory financial and capital reporting and appropriate tax filings. We manage payments on behalf of the business, payroll, pensions and process staff expenses. We provide full Board support on all finance matters including support to business development initiatives as well as financial modelling to support decision making.

Facilities Management provide a number of support services to Baillie Gifford. This includes managing the day to day running of our offices and ensuring a comfortable and appropriate working environment for staff, as well as managing existing office leases and considering future requirements. The department are also responsible for the Health and Safety of all employees and visitors within our premises.