John Lothian
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Ipswich, United Kingdom
Toptal member since January 5, 2021
John Lothian is an accomplished global investor and financier with nearly two decades of experience. A graduate of Columbia Business School, John has enjoyed a successful career at top-tier banks and investment houses in the US, Europe, and Japan, including M&G Investments, Lazard, and Lehman Brothers. John recently established a freelance financial advisory business because he values working directly with clients to solve their unique strategic and financial challenges.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Certification Highlights
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
Fund Manager
M&G Investments
- Actively co-managed more than $1 billion in Japanese equity assets, including screening, performing due diligence, executing purchases and sales, and providing risk management.
- Raised assets under management (AUM) from roughly $400 million to more than $1.3 billion; improved fundraising by expanding into new geographic and client segments.
- Collaborated with the senior management of target companies to provide strategic equity capital to support turnaround/recovery investments in such sectors as materials/chemicals, semiconductors, auto parts, retail, industrials, and transport/logistics.
- Scaled investment capabilities by delivering key mid-career and new graduate hires to match growth in fund assets.
- Created and implemented a new-recruit training program that standardized the investment process and activities while adhering to the core investment culture.
Head of Global Consumer/Health Care Sector Research and Senior Analyst
M&G Investments
- Led a team of three global consumer sector analysts covering approximately $6 billion of client capital across consumer and health care sub-sectors and the globe (US, Europe, UK, Japan, Asia ex-Japan, and so on).
- Deployed capital successfully (i.e., generated investment alpha) in such sectors as luxury goods, apparel, medical devices/medtech, food manufacturing, food retail, general retail, beverages, consumer electronics, and outsourcing/business services.
- Designed and produced detailed financial modeling and valuation work, and conducted regular interviews and robust exchange of views with senior management of major consumer sector companies as part of investment due diligence.
- Improved teamwide level of investment output and understood consumer sector dynamics; my team members were promoted to capital-allocating positions.
Head of Research and Senior Analyst, Global Leaders Fund
M&G Investments
- Led investment research activities for a team of five analysts covering the US and international (Europe, UK, Japan, and Asia ex-Japan/general emerging markets) equity investment universe to deploy approximately $5 billion of client capital.
- Generated approximately 400BPS of alpha (i.e., above benchmark performance) per annum in equities in the US, Japan, Europe, and Asia.
- Optimized team research effort/fund investment positioning through strategic reviews of China, Japan, and the US macro picture and investment opportunity set.
- Produced and implemented a system for standardizing investment process/decision-making, boosting standardized output from 20% of the portfolio to 100%.
- Contributed positively to fundraising/AUM retention and growth through active marketing of research/investment activity to clients in Europe, Japan, and China.
Global Technology Sector Analyst
M&G Investments
- Provided senior equity research coverage for roughly 50% of the global technology industry market cap.
- Conducted a strategic analysis and developed a strategic plan to govern long-term investments in tech hardware for approximately $3 billion in client capital.
- Carried out frequent interviews and robust exchanges of view with senior management of tech companies across regions (US, Japan, Europe, Asia ex-Japan) as part of investment due diligence.
- Built detailed financial models, including returns analysis, sensitivity analysis, valuation, and risk assessment for evaluating investment targets.
Fund Manager
Occam Asset Management
- Co-managed roughly $50 million in Japanese equity assets under a long-short strategy with consistent alpha generation at the stock level.
- Conducted rigorous due diligence on investment positions, including detailed financial modeling, valuation, and returns analysis, as well as risk assessment at stock and portfolio level.
- Actively engaged with corporate senior management; initiated a program of profitable investments in small-cap space in such sectors as media/telco, real estate/J-REITs, and infrastructure.
Equity Analyst, Technology and Materials Sectors
Lazard Asset Management
- Built detailed financial models, including returns analysis, sensitivity analysis, valuation, and risk assessment for evaluating investment targets.
- Conducted regular due diligence visits to companies, including interviews with senior management.
- Expanded my organizational understanding of equity risk and opportunities in previously uncovered segments of tech materials and related supply chains in tech hardware and chemicals/advanced materials.
Equity Research Analyst, Japanese Auto Parts
Lehman Brothers
- Was awarded sole research coverage of the Japanese auto parts sector (approximately US$60 billion market cap under coverage).
- Conducted intensive due diligence, including detailed financial modeling, valuation, and risk assessment, as well as regular contact with the management of auto parts companies and industry participants.
- Actively marketed investment research to a global client base.
- Awarded honorable mention by Institutional Investor survey in the first year of coverage.
- Created a proprietary statistical model for forecasting automotive and auto parts production, sales, and earnings.
Education
Master's Degree (MBA) in International Finance
Columbia Business School - New York, NY, United States
Master's Degree in International Relations
The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) - Washington, DC, United States
Bachelor's Degree in Greek and Latin
Catholic University of America - Washington, DC, United States
Certifications
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Skills
Finance
Valuations, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, International Finance, Asset Valuation, Three-statement Modeling, FP&A, Fund Management, Market Research Analyst, Risk Analysis, FX Risk Analysis, Equity Research, Due Diligence, Valuation Modeling, Revenue & Expense Projections, Finance Strategy, Chartered Financial Analysis, Fundamental Analysis, Equity Research Analysis, Monetary Policy, Fundraising, Risk Models, Portfolio Analysis, Pricing, M&A (Buy-side), M&A, Accounting, Foreign Exchange (FX) Hedging, REITs, Lending
Industry Expertise
Financial Markets, Retail & Wholesale, Financial Services, Apparel & Accessories, Global Economics, Capital Markets, Asset Management, International Trade, Automotive, Consumer Products, Semiconductors, Food & Beverage, Luxury Goods, Industrials, Electronics, Technology, Macroeconomics, Healthcare App Design, Real Estate, Fashion, Health, Chemicals, Software Development, Building Materials, Logistics Consulting, Real Estate Development, Telecommunications, Energy, Transportation & Shipping, Chinese Medicine, Entertainment & Leisure, Pharmaceuticals, Mining, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Food Production
Geographic Expertise
Asia-Pacific (APAC), Japan, United States, Asia, China, Europe, Southeast Asia
Data & Analysis Software
Bloomberg
Other
Finance, Economics, Markets, Equity Investment, Geopolitical Risk, Risk Management, Portfolio Management, Manufacturing, Company Research, Risk Assessment, Financial Analysis, Client Presentations, DCF Modeling, Industry Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Analysis, Investments, Business Modeling, Research Reports, Reports, Research Analysis, Investment Analysis, US GAAP Accounting, TMT, Stock Analysis, Financial Software Development, Turnaround, Design Strategy, Statistics, Statistical Modeling, Leadership, International Development & Economics, Foreign Currency, Microsoft 365, Mentorship & Coaching, Training Materials, Consumer Services, Consumer Electronics, Business Services, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Medical Devices, Marketing Research & Analysis, Tail Risk, Manufacturers, Lean Manufacturing, Data Science, Emerging Markets, Presentations, Funding Presentations, Recruitment, Restructuring, Materials Science, Healthcare IT, Due Diligence, SaaS, SaaS, Startup Development, Presentation Design, Initial Public Offerings, NASDAQ, E-commerce Development, E-commerce marketing, Business Plan Consulting, Foodtech, Investor Reporting, Hedge Funds, Trading, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Stock Market Techinical Analysis, Marketing Design, Investment Banking, Option Pricing, Interim CFOs, Media, Global Banking, Technology Trends, Infrastructure, Management Consultants, Design Consulting, Strategic Planning, Critical Thinking, Data Science, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC), Life Science, Biotechnology
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