Celebrating 130 years

Simon reflects on how it all began in 1889, the Trust’s aims to provide an investment solution for individual investors then and now and how the Merchants of yesterday differs to the vehicle it is today. The Trust has lived through many major political and economic events over its lifetime and Simon looks back at this remarkable history and how this has shaped the Trust, which has diversified and adapted over time. Simon has been at the helm of Merchants for 13 years – a tenth of the Trust’s life – and talks about his own experiences as manager, particularly the importance of steady nerves and a focus on long-term fundamentals when managing Merchants through the financial crisis of 2008-9.

Produced and recorded by Lansons, at the Lansons studio in Farringdon.