Head of Investments and Trading
Andrzej is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI), a Chartered Wealth Manager and a Certified Financial Planner. One of the longest serving members at Arcrate, having been with us for over 10 years. A seasoned investment professional, having traded derivatives, options and futures in both London and Chicago in previous firms. He joined us in 2009 to develop and build our investment process and is a driving force at our investment committee.
What is your favourite city or holiday destination?
For holiday destinations, sunshine is a must, as well as being able to be active and see interesting things. Driving down the pacific coast highway from San Francisco to LA stopping to check out anything interesting, with no set itinerary, had all of those things.
Your dream job would be?
Working at Arcrate, that’s a trick question isn’t it
What do you consider the most over-rated virtue?
Blind obedience, without it there can be no creativity or discovery
Who is your favourite hero of fiction?
James Bond
Which talent would you most like to have?
Languages, even though I was brought up almost bi-lingual with English and Polish, I’ve always found learning other languages difficult.
If you could be someone famous or a figure from history who would you be?
Anyone regarded as a “great mind” or “polymath”, Someone like Leonardo DaVinici or Einstein for example to see how their mind worked.
Most dangerous place you have ever been to or the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
I used to do Parkour (Freerunning) in my younger years, so jumping across roof’s or from high places is generally seen as pretty dangerous by most people.
What is your favourite film?
Godfather Part 1 or Part 2
What is your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Most of my life I’ve read more non-fiction, but do enjoy books by Ken Follett and Bernard Cornwell, as they do a good job of bringing different times of history to life
How would you spend your ‘perfect’ day?
With my family doing something active outdoors in good weather. So somewhere with a quiet beach and lots of nature
What is your pet hate?
People pushing in the queue at Old Street tube station, after a long day in the office.
What is your favourite song/album/piece of music
Really depends on my mood or what I’m doing as my music tastes are very diverse. Move on up – Curtis Mayfield, All Along the Watchtower– Jimi Hendrix, Classical music while working, I enjoy Chopin a lot.
Best investment ever
Starting an investment ISA when still at school, that I didn’t touch until I needed it years later for a deposit on my first house.
Worst investment ever
Buying a Russian equity fund within my first investment ISA when I was 16 years old, which did terribly compared to the rest of the portfolio. It taught me an important lesson to have a diversified portfolio.
