Godfrey told Portfolio Adviser the trust’s line-up would consist of 4-8 investment managers, which was in line with his original target.
He also denied suggestions that his investment trust’s launch had been delayed, saying his initial plan was for launch in the first half of 2017, not the first quarter as widely reported.
The founder said that after he met his £100,000 target to fundraise the trust launch in January he then said the period would be extended to after the Summer holidays.
He is now planning to launch by October.
Godfrey said the investment managers to be named next week would share his vision of making the investment process more accessible and concentrated on “sustainable value creation” over the long-term.
Three investment managers have already been named as managers on Godfrey’s venture – First State Investments, Orbis Investments and, most recently, Big Issue Invest, the investment arm of the magazine combating poverty and homelessness in the UK.
Willis Towers Watson has also been signed on as an investment adviser, according to the trust’s website.
The Trust has a clear purpose, according to Godfrey, to generate better returns for investors and produce a better impact on society.
In this way, Godfrey bills the People’s Trust as an antidote to the short-termism of the financial services industry, which, has in his view, wrongly prioritised beating the benchmark above delivering long-term value for clients.
