Rob McDonald, B.Sc Analytical Chemistry. John Moores University Liverpool, M.Sc Logistics & Supply Chain Management - Cranfield Business School.
After graduating in Analytical Chemistry Rob initially embarked on a career in Accountancy but decided it was not for him and switched shortly thereafter into Logistics. Initially he worked in a variety of roles in physical distribution management of Bulk Liquids and Powders and later specialising in Logistics procurement of road haulage vehicles and equipment, 3rd party contracts and then latterly outsourcing of divisional road haulage operations and contract management. He has been involved in the Project Management of large scale implementations of an Enterprise Resource Planning system and Business Integration Projects that included the merging of several disparate Group companies into a single company, being specifically accountable for the integration of the logistics functions. After 30 years Rob took early retirement and became a logistics consultant.
Rob has been a private investor for best part of 30 years, initially investing in passive index funds and then branching out into Exchange Traded Funds, individual shares and investment Trusts. He has dabbled in Contracts for Difference as a hedging tool in portfolio management (and doesn't recommend it!). He served as a Trustee Director of a FTSE 100 Group Pension Fund for a total of 13 years, 8 of which included serving as one of 3 directors on the Investment Sub Committee. Over that period he became conversant with synthetic bonds, credit default swaps, interest & inflation rate swaps as well as being involved with 2 Group Pension valuation exercises. He says that trustee dedication is sitting through a 90 minute presentation of mortality calculations and the implications on the pension deficit and still be asking questions at the end.
In his spare time Rob keeps active as a keen club tennis player and as a choral singer with the London Concert Chorus performing in Christmas concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Westminster Hall as well as summer concerts more locally. He is a keen photographer and enjoys walking in the country and exploring London.
