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My Briefcase

Chris Davis

PAUL SHUTES JF Asset Management European equity group client portfolio manager

ON BUSINESS TRIPS I carry all the things you would expect to find in a portfolio manager's briefcase - laptop, personal digital assistant and the necessary files and paperwork relating to the fund management industry.

I try to carry all I need as cabin baggage, which makes arriving and leaving airports a lot easier and quicker.

A permanent fixture in my briefcase is a ledger-sized notebook that I use to jot down facts, figures and statistics. A lot of what I do is factual, so I use my notebook as a prompt to jog my memory and to verify those all-important figures I need to quote.

I don't travel around with endless statistics embedded in my brain. When I need to check facts and figures or data from a previous week or month I find flicking through the pages of a notebook is far easier than using a computer.

As a client portfolio manager dealing with European equities, I need to be able to access lots of information quickly. In meetings with clients, financial advisers or media, I often refer to my notes, which is far simpler than calling up information on a computer.

I believe having the information as hard copy generates a good impression of being prepared and having a resourceful means to verify and substantiate answers to important questions.

Before a business trip, such as my latest visit to Hong Kong, there is a lot of preparation that needs to be done. I back up any information I have on my computer with hard copy and use the flight time to update my presentation themes, the latest fund performance figures, investment strategies and details about any new funds we are planning to launch.

On this last trip to Hong Kong there was a total ban on cabin luggage, so I was unable to work and had little option but to sleep. It was probably the best rest I have had on a flight, but it wasn't the best thing for my body clock. For the next few days I woke up at 3am and 4am, which is certainly not the best preparation for important client meetings or making presentations to Hong Kong's financial community.

Fitness is very important to me so I always pack my gym kit with my briefcase. Wherever I am, I try to fit in a morning or evening jogging session. Jogging helps me relax and allows me to see parts of the city where I am working. If I am unable to jog, I try to visit a gym. It is important to step away from the work side of life.

I travel to work in London on a scooter and try to carry as few things as possible, but that always includes a gym kit so I can get in some exercise at lunch time or after work.

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