Ashley Lewis

The internship changed my view of what investment management could be and the sort of people who might work there. For those three months, I was trusted to get on with my research on blockchain technology beyond cryptocurrency.  

Afterwards, some of the investors got in touch to ask for my views on whether certain companies’ claims about blockchain really stacked up. They were genuinely curious and did not pretend to know everything just to come across as the smartest person in the room. Instead, they were willing to ask questions because doing a good job was more important. 

Right from the recruitment phase, it felt like everyone was trying to get to know me, who I was and how I thought. The same is true now: they want you to do the research in your own way and see what you can come up with. 

I’m currently in the Japan Team, working across Japanese portfolios. What I enjoy most is how involved and broad the research is. You are trying to get underneath things, speaking to people and asking questions to understand how a business really works, what makes it distinctive and whether it offers something different from the companies already in the portfolio. 

The highlight of the job for me has been the travel. I’ve had the chance to visit a wide range of places, from a uranium mine to a ceramics manufacturer and a business that produces implantable lenses. Seeing these companies up close really brings their work to life. It helps you understand what they make or do, why it matters, and can change the way you think about the company.

Baillie Gifford has a high-trust, independent culture. You are encouraged to do the work in your own way, form your own judgement and keep learning. For me, that is what makes the programme so rewarding. The more you see, the more you realise how much more there is still to understand. 

Please note that any references to current teams in bios are as of the time of writing and may not reflect the current situation due to the nature of the programmes.