Jane Somerville

Name: Jane Somerville
Employer: Standard Life Investments
Qualifications: MA economic history, University of Edinburgh (1994); MSc investment analysis, University of Stirling (2006)

As a child, I kept a stock picking book where I would record my hypothetical buy ideas and track share prices, so I suppose this was where my interest in investments started! After studying economic history at university, I spent almost six years living, studying and working in Japan, including working for Bloomberg in Tokyo. I also gained a masters degree in advanced Japanese. When I returned to Edinburgh, I knew that I wanted to use the skills I’d built up over the years and felt that fund management would be a perfect fit. I did work experience with a fund manager specialising in Japanese equities, then did a masters in investment analysis before applying for graduate programmes.

My job

When I joined my current employer, I was placed with the Japan team as it seemed the natural place for me. I work on the Japanese equities desk, conducting research and making investment recommendations to fund managers. I cover food companies, ‘precision’ companies, including manufacturers of medical equipment and semiconductor equipment, and pharmaceutical companies. As part of my daily research I speak regularly with analysts, meet with company representatives in the UK or Japan and keep up to date with macro and market trends in Japan. The work is incredibly intellectually stimulating; I pick up something new every day, whether it’s about a company, industry or investment process.

Questioning assumptions

I’m training to become a fund manager, so as well as becoming a specialist in my sectors I also need to gain knowledge of other areas. Each week a member of my team will present their stock recommendations. We evaluate their recommendations and question their assumptions – a crucial skill if you want to become a fund manager. Every month I have to formally present my recommendations, so I also need to be confident, articulate and able to think on my feet.