Who We Are

Sterling Investments is an independent fund management company based in London.

Our purpose is to provide capital growth to investors, whatever their life stage, and possibly even be part of their journey towards financial freedom.

We intend to provide capital growth by investing in first-rate businesses run by first-rate people.

We own the firm and control our day. This ensures that we are not distracted or pressured to continuously “asset gather.” Instead, our central focus is investment excellence. We believe in what we do and invest in the Fund ourselves.

Who We Are

Sterling Investments is an independent fund management based in London.

Our purpose is to provide capital growth to investors, whatever their life stage, and possibly even be part of their journey towards financial freedom.

We intend to provide capital growth by investing in first-rate businesses run by first-rate people.

We own the firm and control our day. This ensures that we are not distracted or pressured to continuously “asset gather.” Instead, our central focus is investment excellence. We believe in what we do and invest in the Fund ourselves.

Investment Team

A firm is only as good as its people. For us, it starts with culture and loving what we do. Each of us has a different skill set and style, but we are among the best as a team. We are all different and sometimes disagree but our culture of camaraderie binds us together. Direct talk, mutual trust, and respect cuts out bureaucracy and politicking.

Melwin Mehta

Founder and CIO

Melwin is the founder of Sterling Investments and has been the Fund’s portfolio advisor since October 2017. He invests with an ownership mindset and analyses every company like a business. Melwin lays heavy emphasis on management calibre and meets more than 200 companies annually. His 21-year career includes roles in private equity, family office, and hedge fund. He is a Bachelor of Engineering, a member of the CFA UK Society, and holds the IMC.

Miles Nolan

Executive Director

Miles started his career as a financial journalist in 1998. After being the Smaller Companies Editor at the Investors Chronicle, he was the Editor of the Growth Company Investor. He then worked as an analyst and fund manager in asset and wealth management. His recent roles were at stockbroker WH Ireland and investor relations firm IFC. He is on the advisory panel and judges the Lloyds Bank British Excellence Awards.

Tony Doran

Compliance Director

Tony has been a compliance officer for UK regulated investment management companies since joining Progressive Asset Management in 1997. Prior to that, he worked for the Listing Department of the London Stock Exchange (now part of the FCA) where he progressed to Head of Compliance. He is a Chartered Accountant and has a degree in Classics from Oxford University.

Robin Woodbine Parish

Non-Executive Director

Robin has been an active investor since 1971. He has been a director of his family office and investment company El Oro Group since 1980 and Chairman since 1994. In his 50 years as an investor, he has gained an encyclopedic knowledge of all sectors and seen multiple business cycles. He has a BA Hons and MA from Oxford University.

Tanishka Sawant

Analyst

Tanishka is a finance graduate and will be taking the CFA II exam in the coming months. In addition to research, she undertakes a wide variety of tasks and also monitors ESG initiatives of companies.

Richard Holmwood

Managing Partner

Richard leads our private markets division after a 20 year career in the British Business Bank (National Security Strategic Investment Fund), Foreign Office and HM Treasury. He believes there is a massive opportunity for UK and allied capital to be invested in UK-based companies and their success in-turn driving GDP and productivity. Richard holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and an MBA.

Clifford Giles

Advisor

Clifford has helped a number of Australian companies attract capital from London, Frankfurt, and Paris markets. In recent times, he spearheaded a UK Fund and has been an active investor in his own right for over two decades. He evaluates investment opportunities with an ownership mindset and is always striving to help companies tap into his wider network throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

Investment Team

A firm is only as good as its people. For us, it starts with culture and loving what we do. Each of us has a different skill set and style, but we are among the best as a team. We are all different and sometimes disagree but our culture of camaraderie binds us together. Our culture allows us to communicate openly and directly because we trust & respect each other. As a team, we dislike bureaucracy and have no time for politics.

Melwin Mehta

Founder and CIO

Melwin is the founder of Sterling and has been the Fund’s portfolio advisor since October 2017. He invests with an ownership mindset and analyses every company like a business, laying emphasis on management calibre. His 22-year career includes roles in private equity, family office, and hedge fund. He is a Bachelor of Engineering, a member of the CFA UK Society and holds the IMC.

Miles Nolan

Executive Director

Miles started his career as a financial journalist in 1998. After being the Smaller Companies Editor at the Investors Chronicle, he was the Editor of the Growth Company Investor. He then worked as an analyst and fund manager in asset and wealth management. He is on the advisory panel and judges the Lloyds Bank British Excellence Awards.

Tony Doran

Compliance Director

Tony has been a compliance officer for UK-regulated investment management companies since joining Progressive Asset Management in 1997. Prior to that, he worked for the Listing Department of the London Stock Exchange (now part of the FCA) where he progressed to Head of Compliance. He is a Chartered Accountant and has a degree in Classics from Oxford University.

Robin Woodbine Parish

Non Executive Director

Robin has been an active investor since 1971. He has been a director of his family office and investment company El Oro Group since 1980 and Chairman since 1994. In his 50 years as an investor, he has gained an encyclopedic knowledge of all sectors and seen multiple business cycles. He has a BA Hons and MA from Oxford University.

Tanishka Sawant

Analyst

Tanishka is a finance graduate and will be taking the CFA II exam in the coming months. In addition to research, she undertakes a wide variety of tasks and helps the team monitor ESG initiatives of companies in the portfolio and on our watchlist.

Richard Holmwood

Managing Partner

Richard leads our private markets division after a 20 year career in the British Business Bank (National Security Strategic Investment Fund), Foreign Office and HM Treasury. He believes there is a massive opportunity for UK and allied capital to be invested in UK-based companies and their success in-turn driving GDP and productivity. Richard holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and an MBA.

Clifford Giles

Advisor

Clifford has helped a number of Australian companies attract capital from London, Frankfurt, and Paris markets. In recent times, he spearheaded a UK Fund and has been an active investor in his own right for over two decades. He evaluates investment opportunities with an ownership mindset and is always striving to help companies tap into his wider network throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

Our ethos is marked by

Our approach

As shareholders, we see ourselves as co-owners of the company and co-partners with the management. Very much like a partner, we are open and straightforward in our communications. Management teams know where we stand and admire our analytical rigour and candidness. Sometimes conversations get tough but those are strictly “within the family.”

Investing in smaller companies

  • In general, larger companies have structured investor relations programs and their websites contain exhaustive investor information. Hence, hundreds of analysts and large fund houses find it very easy to research them – from the comfort of their desks. Unfortunately, this also makes larger company investing a very crowded endeavour and where it is incredibly hard to develop any sort of edge.

  • In addition, in the post-MiFID-2 world, many brokers have reduced their research coverage of smaller companies. This relative lack of information on smaller companies means that they are more likely to be overlooked and potentially underpriced.

  • We love what we do and this gives us the required energy to do more research or take that one extra meeting.

Investing In Smaller Companies

  • In general, larger companies have structured investor relations programs and their websites contain exhaustive investor information. Hence, hundreds of analysts and large fund houses find it very easy to research them – from the comfort of their desks. Unfortunately, this also makes larger company investing a very crowded endeavour and where it is incredibly hard to develop any sort of edge.

  • In addition, in the post-MiFID-2 world, many brokers have reduced their research coverage of smaller companies. This relative lack of information on smaller companies means that they are more likely to be overlooked and potentially underpriced.

  • Undoubtedly, investing in smaller companies is labour-intensive and involves shoe leather but we desire to deliver excess returns, so we must go beyond where others stop. We love what we do and this gives us the required energy to do that extra research or take that one more meeting.

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    Careers

    Current Opening in Marketing and Sales

    First and foremost, our culture is authentic and open. We insist on covering all angles – each of us covers for the other and always have each others back.

    We are a boutique and will succeed only if we really add value for our clients. Hence, it is important to have people from different backgrounds in the team. We not only encourage divergent viewpoints, they are, in fact, a company policy!

    The firm is entrepreneurial so success is shared and everyone has a sense of ownership. In a world where rule books are getting thicker but the honesty quotient is getting thinner, we believe integrity is at a premium. We are proud of our work and it is a privilege (and fun) to work with fantastic colleagues. We love Mondays.

    Over the past decade, Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) have had a tremendous ride. In our view, the asset management industry is now re-entering the age where the nimble boutiques will have an edge. Clients are wary of large firms and are increasingly asking relevant questions such as:

    • Is value being delivered?

    • Is the manager aligned with the investor?

    • Are decisions being taken for the long-term?

    • Does the organization allow each person to operate with client interests in mind?

    Our answers to such questions are a resounding “Yes.” We are currently looking for a like-minded person to focus on marketing and sales. Now is an exciting time for an investment management job. We are flexible on time and location.

    Our #1 Criterion? We want you to love what you do. If you do love your craft, give us a try. We are a great bunch. Reference check us and you will hear amazing things.