From the founder

Growing up, I witnessed my father create his mortgage broking firm from scratch. He approached it brick by brick initially, then eventually more strategically, like manoeuvring chess pieces ahead of time. Over the course of twenty years, he grew the company from a one-man operation at home (the backyard decking being his boardroom), into an award-winning network of brokers, consistently topping national league tables annually. With no intention of sounding inflated, his achievement is further is underscored by the additional headwind he faced having arrived in Australia speaking very little English.

The success of my father’s creation is not unique, nor his achievements unsurpassed by others. There have been many other bigger and faster growing companies created since then. But I raise this example with only a small nod to the outcome. The main course is reserved for the mentality and process of founding a company. The drive and hunger founders exude, to will their company into growth is what showcases the best of human nature. And this very essence of not accepting the status quo, to stare into the face of quick short-term profits, turn them down in favour of truly generational growth, to create a company that spans more than a lifetime; this same ethos is the very genesis of the world’s largest companies today. When owners and managers are truly aligned for the long-term instead of annual personal bonuses, corporate magic happens.

I would be reminded by this lesson time and time again during my career as a financial regulator, consultant and investment banker. The very best companies I worked with all exhibited the same traits. That same spirit as what I witnessed in my father. And like a recurring dream, it took a while for me to recognise these patterns of long-term success, especially given my role at the time was deep in company lines, focused on strategic execution and practical implementation. It was only when I zoomed out and donned the lens of an investor that these previously disparate observations began to click together.

The foundations of highly successful companies are set with the same brand of concrete – a relentless long-term view and ability to make strategic choices with zero regard for short-term market expectations (which in practice is much harder than theory suggests). This special brand of concrete can only be made when an over-arching guiding hand of a founder has the clear and majority influence to unequivocally decide what is in the best interests of the company over the long-term.

In business, never underestimate the importance of ‘skin in the game’.

And this is how I invest. I uncover the best. The best founder-led companies around the world, before they become mainstream. I look for the game changers, the legacy makers. Founders who are creating something beyond their lifetime. Our strategy navigates the naturally advantageous universe of founder-led companies but refines further to select only those of the highest quality. This how our success is achieved.

Happy compounding,

Lawrence Lam

Core tenets

Endurance over the ages

Investing for the long-term is a given; endurance extends to the running of our firm with a mindset of creating a generational legacy, the actions we take to preserve our reputation and the gravity with which we assume our responsibilities.

Evolve and adapt

Our core values and how we conduct ourselves will never change.

But investment strategy is different; markets are never stagnant. It is absolutely necessary to remain curious and inquisitive in order to adapt, survive and evolve with each investment era.