About
About Gareth henry
Over the last decade, Gareth Henry has built a career at the pinnacle of the finance sector. Taking his academic training in mathematics — and then developing an intense expertise in customer service — he has created a combination of skills that have made him a sought-after manager of investment accounts.
“I think what made the difference for me was that I had a knack for talking to colleagues, clients, and even strangers about their investments in a meaningful way, which not all students of mathematics can do,” Henry explained in a Q&A with Interview in the fall of 2018. “So, I naturally gravitated toward investor relations and raising capital.”
His market expertise is in the capitalization of private real estate and credit products. He has a global portfolio — and the coinciding contacts — that includes considerable experience in alternative asset management. He’s been active in markets as wide-ranging as the United States, Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Gareth Henry was formerly the Global Head of Investor Relations at the employee-owned Angelo, Gordon, & Co. — which specializes in alternative investments with a current portfolio value of $28 billion. Prior to this he was at Fortress Investment Group for over eight years, first as the Head of International Investor Relations and then as the Global Head of Investor Relations.
Henry earned a BSc in Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. One of the world’s leading business universities, which was established in 1821 at the climax of the Scottish Enlightenment, his academic training was more than, well, just academic.
“The tutors were also pretty active in helping us think about our careers and what would be a good fit for a student,” Henry explained to his alma mater’s alumni association. “I always knew investment was the one for me, but being able to discuss these subjects with our tutors was invaluable.”
This defining experience is one of the foundations of his career. As he explained to IdeaMensch when asked about “one strategy that has helped you grow your business,” he shared his philosophical approach that is clearly founded on the mentorship he experienced in college.
“Personally, I have elected around 20 mentors, all of whom are experts in their own field. When I want advice I always go them,” explained Henry in an August 2018 interview. “It takes a degree of humility to accept leadership and support, but in a way, much of my success has just been implementing other people’s winning formulas in new ways.”
It’s not surprising that not only has he endowed a Gareth Henry Access Bursary at Heriot-Watt — but that the award includes his personally mentoring students who are awarded it. This is a giving-forward scheme that circles back his mentoring experience, which has underscored his highly personal approach to investment management.
This is why a typical day for Henry is dominated by communication with his clients.
“I believe that I can’t truly serve you as my client unless I have a complete understanding of your needs, as well as the needs of the organization I’m working to help grow. With that in mind, I make a minimum of 8–10 calls to clients per day, plus at least two face-to-face client meetings,” explained Henry to IdeaMensch. “That comes out to 500 meetings per year as a baseline, though I think 1,000 meetings per year is a reasonable goal.”
It’s that kind of dedication to communication and ensuring an understanding of his clients’ needs and wishes — along with the handle on market realities that he can grasp thanks to his formal training in data analysis — that has been the fuel for Henry’s meteoric career.
Within a few years of graduating college (and after a short stint as an analyst at Watson Wyatt LLP), Henry became a Director of Strategic Solutions at the global investment management firm Schroders. That led to his being recruited by Fortress in 2007 for its London office — the same year that the trend-setting firm was the first hedge fund to go public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). He capped off his first six years at Fortress with his two-year stint as its Global Head of Investor Relations at the New York headquarters.
Still based in the Big Apple, Henry is a fellow of both the Institute of Actuaries, UK, and the Society of Actuaries, USA.
Henry’s core business belief is to never stop learning — and never disregard the people around you.
“Always solicit feedback from your peers, your team, and clients,” he told IdeaMensch. “Many people are afraid of feedback, but it’s key to understanding the internal and external dynamics you’re operating within.”
Outside of business Gareth Henry enjoys participating in public speaking engagements, scuba diving and golf. He also proudly supports USA Rugby and Veterans 4 Life USA.