The holidays are a time for reflection on the past year, a time to honor and remember, and a time to be thankful as we celebrate the holidays with friends and family.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
We just past the first anniversary of the most natural, joyful and energizing decision of my life: to fully commit to my life’s work and run White Falcon. Your life’s work is an extension of your principles and beliefs where you are ‘one’ with your work. This not only helps you live with integrity but inspires you to move a small mountain if that’s what's needed.
Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start.”
– Simon Sinek
Starting an investment management practice is not a very rational decision! The probability of success in any new business is low but it is even lower in financial services. I strongly believed that the market needed an investment manager with an aligned structure, an unconstrained mandate, and a focus on absolute returns. This belief has only gotten stronger over the past year!
Looking back over the last year and all the years that led to the inception of White Falcon, one has to recognize that a lot had to come together, in a very random fashion, for this to be possible. I'll always owe a debt of gratitude to Tim McElvaine who hired me - a non-traditional candidate with zero experience - as an investment analyst and gave me a break in the industry. Thereafter, I moved to Toronto and spent eight wonderful years at Burgundy Asset Management. Here, I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business. I'll always be thankful to Anne-Mette and other partners at Burgundy for this experience.
To all the partners of White Falcon - thank you! Your trust means the world to me. This year has had a lot of ups and downs but we have managed to escape relatively unscathed. Importantly, we like what we own and remain optimistic about the future as the volatility in the markets has given us tremendous opportunities.
From my family to yours,
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Gurpurab and a Happy New Year.
Wishing you all health and happiness in the New Year.
