Life after PM: wing and a prayer

Natural ability is a fine thing but it does not necessarily follow the appropriate channels to direct it are immediately apparent. Ability can be there without the devotion of a true vocation, being merely a predestined tool. What is especially fine is when talent and ability are recognised and encouraged by those wise in the ways of the world. As in the early ecclesiastical hierarchies, when popes and bishops recognised the talent of a papal prefect, seeing potential the youth knew not were his, such is the meteoric rise of this issue’s hero, the tale of Gary Hilldrup.

He entered university dedicated to the study of mathematics, though he studied the topic not out of love, but out of leisure — he was good at it. So, obtaining an admirable degree he set off to see the world. He went first to Africa, travelling the continent and observing, for it was a time of cataclysmic financial and world events. Poly Peck International bankrupted itself, the great bear Russia hit a financial crisis. These piqued his curiosity — he wanted to understand the machinations behind these events, perhaps too he wanted to justify time spent on his mathematics degree and so he decided there was no better way to accomplish this than to start as a fund manager assistant at IPS Capital Management. Yet curiosity drove him forward.

The impact of these great financial happenings haunted him and the desire to involve himself with the essential analytics drew him ever closer to PM. He wrote letters petitioning those in positions of power to consider him at a time when opportunities were bleak. Heartened by the response, even the renown Mr Barings wrote him back words of encouragement. His efforts brought him to Royal Insurance Asset Management where his energy, sharp mind and eye for opportunity soon caught the attention of venerable theologian of the arena, Carl Bacon. Perhaps also, the ability to establish a community, to encourage a team to do its best was what impressed Bacon most, for he took him under his wing. When Bacon went to JP Morgan, Hilldrup took his place as a manager of performance services. But his mentor had other footsteps for him to follow.

At Foreign & Colonial Asset Management, Hilldrup was working with Bacon again, this time on GIPS — and entered the world of governance in the first city firm to become compliant. He met his greatest challenge so far — establishing a new team. This he loved more than maths, here was his vocation. Even in coaxing the best out of someone not in his team — the back and middle office. This was his calling, managing practical things — like GIPS. Issues of governance, for could be more worthy? To ensure a virtuous pattern of good while avoiding an undesirable pattern of bad? What an ideal purpose, to comprise a set of inter-related positions that govern and exercise power to assure and protect. Bacon encouraged him to preach, presenting conferences and seminars. He loved being out of the country — Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris. He moved from position to position in a flurry of exciting new engagements, from Foreign & Colonial to Fortis Investments.

Here he has donned the robes of Global Governance Officer and CEO of the UK branch. His duties have been pan-European. In Amsterdam he looked at the operations side of the business. He travels long haul for governance, to beautiful places yet always conferring locked behind closed doors. For in joint ventures, to coordinate legal risk and compliance with cultures like China is an intricate affair. In St Petersburg he listened to people discussing problems sorted in the EU many years before.

Does he miss PM? He knows where his strengths lie, and his weaknesses as well. There are those whose maths, despite his abilities, exceed his. He misses the direct response from fund managers, their gratitude for the analytics was rewarding. But he accepts his weighty calling, like a cardinal in the Vatican he has no doubts.

Now comes his turn to mentor. I PMR