James Edgedale (pictured) has joined wealth and investment manager Church House Investment Management as a client director. The former JM Finn chairman brings with him more than 30 years of experience from the company he helped build up from a small stockbroker to a wealth manager with circa £11bn of AUM.
The news comes more than a year after it was reported that Edgedale was set to join Vermeer Partners as joint chairman in July 2022. A spokesperson for Vermeer confirmed to Portfolio Adviser that he had not taken up the role. No further details were provided.
London-based Church House is a specialist investment firm integrating wealth and investment management services. Majority-owned by its directors, the firm caters to private individuals, families, trusts and charities.
Edgedale commented: “I have known Church House increasingly well having for many years used their corporate bond fund [the CH Investment Grade Fixed Interest fund] as a cornerstone holding in most of my clients’ portfolios.
“I have always valued their focus on capital preservation and stable income generation, and I know that their disciplined approach to risk management underscores their whole approach to portfolio management, something of which I fully intend to continue taking advantage of.”
James Johnsen, director of wealth management at Church House, added: “I have long admired James for what he achieved at JM Finn and am delighted that he has chosen Church House for the next phase of his career. As a long-standing investor in our flagship corporate bond fund, we know James well and look forward to welcoming him and his many client connections into the business.”
Church House CEO Jerry Wharton said: “Attracting someone of the stature of James is another important step forward in the fulfilment of our vision for Church House as being the natural home for clients and their managers who appreciate both our service ethos and the refreshing freedom to act that our size and market position afford us.
“With backing of the Cayzer Family Trust and an experienced management team our business has ambitious growth plans. Our aim is to be the benchmark for success amongst independently owned investment specialists. To achieve that aim we need talented investment professionals like James and I look forward to seeing more people of his calibre joining in the near future.”
See also: James Mahon to step down as Church House CEO after 11 years
