The Scottish American Investment Company

James is head of Global Income Growth and manager of the Scottish American Investment Company PLC (SAINTS). He joined Baillie Gifford in 2004 and became a partner in the firm in 2023. Prior to this he was an investment manager in our US Equities Team. Before joining the firm, he spent three years at the Scotsman, where he was economics editor. James is a CFA Charterholder. He graduated MA (Hons) in Economics and Philosophy from the University of St Andrews in 2000 and MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics in 2001.

Ross joined Baillie Gifford in 2019 as an investment manager in the Global Income Growth Team and became Deputy Manager of The Scottish American Investment Company PLC (SAINTS) in August 2023. Previously, he spent a year at Aviva Investors and prior to that nine years at Standard Life Investments as an investment manager, first in the European Equity Team and latterly in the Global Equity Team. Ross is a CFA Charterholder and graduated MA (Hons) in Business and Finance from Heriot-Watt University in 2008. He also sits on the board of directors at Aberlour, a Scottish children’s charity.

Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court, GCB joined the Board in 2016 and was appointed Chairman on 5 April 2022. He was Permanent Secretary to the Treasury from 2005 to 2016, leading the department through the global economic and financial crisis. He is currently chairman of C Hoare and Co, a Visiting Professor at King’s College, London and was a non‑executive director of British Land plc.

Dame Mariot Leslie joined the Board in 2019. She was a member of the Diplomatic Service from 1977 until her retirement in 2014. In the course of her career she represented the UK overseas in Singapore, Germany, France and Italy, ran the FCO’s Policy Planning Staff, and was a member of the British Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee. She was the British Ambassador to Norway from 2002 to 2006 and the UK’s Permanent Representative to NATO from 2010 to 2014.

Karyn Lamont, CA joined the Board in 2019 and became Chairman of the Audit Committee in 2020. Karyn is a chartered accountant and former audit partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She has over 25 years’ experience providing audit and other services to a range of clients across the UK’s financial services sector, including a number of investment trusts. Karyn is audit committee chairman of The North American Income Trust plc, The Scottish Building Society and Iomart Group. She was also a director of Ediston Property Investment Company plc.

Christine Montgomery joined the Board in 2022.She has over 30 years of investment management experience, most recently as Head of Global Equities for Australian Super in Melbourne from 2016 to 2019 and previously held senior global equity roles at Fidelity Worldwide Investments, Franklin Templeton Investments and Aegon. Christine is a non-executive director of Dunedin Income and Growth Investment Trust.

Padmesh Shukla joined the Board in February 2024. He is the Chief Investment Officer of the Transport For London Pension Fund, and has over 25 years of investment experience, including 12 years in his current role at TFL. He was formerly head of Climate Change Financing at the London Development Agency, and prior to that he had worked at the World Bank, as a Researcher at Harvard and in real estate. He is currently a member of the Church of England Pensions Investment Committee.

Matthew is Chairman and founder of OLIM Property with over 40 years’ experience managing both UK commercial property and equity portfolios. OLIM Property was founded in 2012 following a management buyout from OLIM, which he jointly founded in 1986. He was Investment Manager of Courtaulds Pension Fund for five years from 1981 and previously Director of Warburg Investment Management (now Blackrock). Matthew was Special Adviser to the then Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins, and an Oxford City Councillor. Matthew graduated MA (Hons) (First Class) in PPE from University College, Oxford in 1972.

Louise Cleary joined OLIM Property in 2009 and has over 30 years’ commercial property investment and asset management experience. Previously she spent seven years as an Investment Manager at Hermes Real Estate Investment Management, three years at Land Securities and five years at Asda Property Holdings. Louise graduated BSc (Hons) in Estate Management from Northumbria University in 1993 and qualified as a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1996.

Sarah joined OLIM Property in 2019 and has over 24 years’ experience of commercial property investment and asset management. She previously spent 15 years as a Director at Jones Lang LaSalle / King Sturge and prior to that, three years at the Estates Gazette. Sarah graduated BA (Hons) in French and Hispanic Studies from King’s College London in 2000 and MSc in Real Estate from The University of Reading in 2009. She also holds the CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in Investment Management and qualified as a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 2008.