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 serves our institutional clients on all investment administration topics. The department strives to build strong relationships with internal and external clients to offer an efficient and accurate service across the key areas of post-trade investment transactional activity.

The Performance Analysis Department is responsible for providing accurate performance measurement and attribution information for portfolios across the firm. It is also responsible for ensuring compliance with relevant performance standards. Workloads are divided between responding to regular requests and ad hoc queries, and processing quarterly client reports.

The Investment Risk department is independent from the investment teams and reports to the Investment Risk Committee, which has ultimate oversight on investment risk issues. The department provides an independent check on investment risk, and monitors the guidelines for each investment strategy.

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 is here to protect our clients, firm, and staff from regulatory issues and to manage and mitigate global compliance risks.  Using a robust compliance framework, we aim to maintain our strong regulatory track record, avoid censure, and help preserve Baillie Gifford’s unique culture and reputation as a successful and trustworthy Asset Manager.

The Legal Department helps the business by identifying and managing legal, regulatory and money laundering risks. Our activities focus on contract negotiation; providing projects and the wider business with legal input; regulatory filings to 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 strategy and culture. This includes regular assessment of risk exposure against agreed risk appetite and the adequacy of the control environment, capital, liquidity, insurance and business recovery plans. We help the firm avoid, pre-empt or mitigate issues, invest in improving client service, and preserve the culture

Internal Audit provides independent and objective assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of 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 two teams: 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 comprises two teams: 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, prepares partnership and statutory accounts, regulatory financial and capital reporting, and appropriate tax filings. We manage business payments, payroll, pensions and process staff expenses. We provide general business support on all finance matters, as well as financial modelling to support decision making.

Facilities Management manages the day to day running of our offices and ensures a comfortable and appropriate working environment for staff, as well as managing existing office leases and considering future requirements. The department is also responsible for the Health and Safety of all employees and visitors within our premises.