Hugo Bedford

Spear’s Review

Hugo Bedford, CEO of JM Finn, cites his extensive experience in investment management as equipping him with the necessary understanding to serve clients whose needs are evolving from pure portfolio management to something wider.

‘Someone described me as a player-manager,’ says Bedford, who joined JM Finn in 2005 from HSBC. ‘I think it’s a powerful message for clients to know that you’ve got a practitioner who is actually managing the business.’ JM Finn has expanded its initial focus on private client broking, he says, to portfolio management and now wealth management and planning – a move that is being echoed in many other firms. 

JM Finn has also been involved in the consolidation of the sector, with a strong balance sheet – profits increased 33 percent in 2023 – providing the firm room to consider possible takeovers and entice new talent. 

Above all, ‘the heart of this industry is the client’, Bedford says. ‘I know it's a massive cliché, but you know people’s business. To be fair to our owners who put me in, I think it showed great belief in our model.’