Catherine: An Investor’s Journey with CapitalRise
Catherine has an impressive career in financial services in the City of London. She began working in wealth management, later transitioning to a corporate pensions role specialising in Defined Benefit (DB) schemes. She is now a Director at Risk Assured.
With her extensive background in finance, she also manages her own portfolio, offering fascinating insights into her approach to investments.
An active investor with CapitalRise, we sat down with Catherine to discuss her time in the City, why she chooses to invest in Prime Property, her experience with our online platform, and how she likes to unwind in her spare time.
Please note: The content is the opinion of the interviewee and does not constitute any investment advice or recommendations on behalf of CapitalRise.
A Journey from Finance to Entrepreneurship
“I studied Mathematics at university before embarking on a career centred on pensions, investments, and tax. Over the years, I have held roles at prominent organisations, including Standard Life, Russell Investments and now Risk Assured, where I work closely with private client law firms, wealth managers, financial advisers, and tax consultants.
“In addition to my work in finance, I explored my entrepreneurial ambitions by launching my own skincare brand, OLIVIEREWILSON, in 2020. I developed a range of innovative at-home skincare tools and frequently present on QVC. The brand has also secured distribution partnerships with Debenhams, Sephora, and Superdrug, reflecting its growing success.
“The skincare business is now primarily managed by my team, and my focus is on Risk Assured and delivering tailored solutions for private clients.”
Expertise in Life Insurance and Tax Advisory
“Risk Assured is a leading high-value life insurance broker, specialising in securing substantial levels of cover for both UK-domiciled and non-domiciled individuals. I enjoy finding solutions for our clients, particularly in light of the new challenges posed by inheritance tax changes in the recent budget.
“In my current role, I help High-Net-Worth (HNW) and Ultra-High-Net-Worth (UHNW) clients navigate complex inheritance tax (IHT) challenges. As we have strong relationships with insurance providers and understand the intricate dynamics between insurers and reinsurers, we can secure favourable terms for our clients with discretion and efficiency. Our goal is to help preserve the value of clients’ estates, so they can meet their IHT requirements without the need to liquidate or sell assets under unfavourable conditions.
“Having a deep understanding of this specialised area, combined with the support of an in-house underwriting team, is critical when managing the financial and medical details of HNW and UHNW individuals. Clients value privacy and prefer to avoid sharing sensitive information with multiple institutions in the search for the best terms – which our streamlined process helps to ensure.”
A Diversified Portfolio with CapitalRise
“I manage my own portfolio on two execution-only platforms, AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown. For property as an asset class I used to turn to Standard Life Investments, as I know they have a very good reputation and achieve great outcomes. I didn’t, however, have any exposure to debt and the lending side of things, which is why I’ve now invested with CapitalRise.
“The product is easy to understand, and I like being able to see the property develop through to completion. Being able to pick and choose which projects to invest in, after they’ve been through the CapitalRise due diligence process, is very attractive.
“I have a few property developer friends in Northern Ireland, where I am from. So I am aware of the challenges they face in securing funding from traditional banks, especially in the aftermath of the 2008 banking crisis.
“That’s another reason why I was drawn to CapitalRise — its ability to provide specialist loans to prime property developers, which made perfect sense to me as an investor.
“I joined CapitalRise about six months ago after being recommended to it by my partner, who is a long-term investor on the platform. After joining I opened an IFISA, which is a great wrapper for tax-free returns. I also opened an investment account and have now invested in a number of lending opportunities.
“My first investment has recently matured, and I’ve rolled the proceeds into a new opportunity. Although my investment is locked away for a fixed term, I get the comfort of a fixed return from prime property-backed investments – something that you don’t get with, say, stocks and shares.”
Hands-On with Investments
“My knowledge of working in the City has taught me the benefit of diversification and I’ve been careful to diversify my portfolio across various asset classes and styles. My high-level approach is to invest in passive tracker funds for developed equities such as US, UK and Europe then look to more specialised managers and funds for less efficient markets like Frontiers. I take a ‘core’ and ‘satellite’ approach so also hold commodities, gold and cryptocurrency.
“That’s another thing that drew me to CapitalRise—the opportunity to invest in prime property, which is different from the equities and bonds I already hold. It’s an excellent way to diversify.”
Choosing Investment Opportunities
“With CapitalRise, I tend to invest in property loans in areas that I know. For instance, I live near Earl’s Court, and there was an opportunity to invest in a development in nearby Cadogan Street, Chelsea. Of course, you get the quarterly investor reports, but I remember thinking, “That’s great, I can always drive past and see progress!”
A Balanced Life
When she’s not working, Catherine enjoys cycling, yoga, and playing the piano.
Cycling has become a new passion, with recent trips through Norway, Tuscany, and the Champagne region. “Cycling is a great way to see the world – it’s super tough though low impact, and you get to enjoy the scenery at your own pace. Plus, you can easily stop off at the villages for tea or ice cream breaks,” she says. “We recently cycled around Tuscany and did 550km in five days, which is a lot of cycling!”
Catherine is also a yogi having first encountered yoga on a trip to Thailand in 2005. Being inspired to learn more about it, Catherine studied to become a certified 500-hour Power Vinyasa yoga instructor. “I don’t teach, I just wanted to deepen my understanding and practice. I prefer being the student”.
She finds yoga and playing the piano to be cathartic ways to unwind after a busy day.
A Testament to Hard Work
Reflecting on her career, Catherine is most proud of her ability to succeed in male-dominated fields like mathematics and finance. “I’ve worked hard like a lot of people to achieve financial independence. It’s something I take a lot of pride in. My upbringing in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, instilled in me a strong work ethic and the ability to be self-reliant.”
“I am very competitive, hopefully in a good way. It’s the world I’m used to and just how my mind is wired. Maybe one of these days I’ll calm down, though I guess there could be worse things to be!”
Catherine’s competitive nature drives her to stay on top of her investments and always seek out new opportunities – an approach that has served her well throughout her career and in her ventures with CapitalRise.
Experience with CapitalRise
“The experience so far has been excellent. The platform is simple to use, and the support from the Investor Relations team has been fantastic. Daisy, in particular, helped me with some ISA queries at the start, and the process overall was smooth – from the onboarding to reviewing ongoing investment opportunities, and answering any questions. They make it all nice and easy!”
Interested in joining Catherine and becoming a CapitalRise investor? Our platform offers opportunities to invest in exclusive prime property developments, giving eligible members access to the luxury real estate asset class. Find out more at www.capitalrise.com
