Neil Ostrer W77

I was at Charterhouse from 1972-77 in Weekites and I have many happy memories of my time there. One thing that I particularly recall was the transition from the old, rather grim, 19th century boarding Houses to the new (now old!) modern boarding Houses and how the whole centre of gravity and character of the School changed as a consequence. This cultural change was also strongly enhanced by the introduction of girls during this period which finally meant that Charterhouse had really arrived in the late 20^th Century. That was also the peak period of glam rock and long hair and even as head boy I tried to get away with my hair as long as possible! Sport was a big thing for me and I was lucky enough to captain the football first X1 and develop a love of running from the Pontifexes. Some of my happiest memories of Charterhouse were on the sports fields where so much camaraderie was developed. These are one’s most formative years and where better to have spent them than at Charterhouse

After Charterhouse I read History at Cambridge before entering the City in the depths of recession as a trainee equity fund manager at a company called GT Management. I wanted to make money, travel and do something that involved variety and I got all of that. I spent five successful and happy years there including a one year stint in San Francisco before leaving to briefly try stockbroking but hated that and returned to institutional fund management in a start up with an ex colleague and a 3^rd partner. After a shaky start which included experiencing the great crash on Black Monday in 1987 the company found a stable backer and grew successfully. This was primarily in the US and now some 34 years later we manage some $52 bn of pension fund, endowment and foundation assets and employ about 100 people. It has been a fascinating career and my specialization in pan European equities has enabled me to watch the development of the UK and European economies over 40 years.

I have travelled widely and have met countless company managements and icons of industry and it has rarely been dull! Recessions, financial crises, Gulf Wars, 9/11 and now the pandemic have all tested the markets to extremes. 

I have been lucky to have been surrounded by very capable people. Retirement soon beckons and we will undoubtedly spend part of that in sunnier climes.

In my personal life I have been with my wife Alison for 28 years and we have four now grown up children, the youngest of whom spent two years at Weekites. We do a lot of cycling and skiing and will probably play golf more in the future. We have also set up a charitable Foundation to support some needy causes.