Meet the manager
Find out fun facts about abrdn's Gabriel Sacks and our Showcase managers
To find out more about our managers speaking at the Investment Company Showcase and unearth the personalities behind the trust, visit the ‘meet the manager’ section of our website here.
Gabriel Sacks, Manager of abrdn Asia Focus.
If you weren’t a fund manager, what job would you do?
As a kid I liked the idea of being a photographer for National Geographic. But that aside, I really enjoyed economics at school and had a clear desire to travel for work, so I always thought I’d end up working at a large multinational firm. The more I do my job, the more respect and admiration I have for entrepreneurship too, but I’m not sure I’ve got the right skills or temperament for it – maybe one day!
What was the proudest moment of your career?
Markets are good at keeping you humble, but perhaps my proudest moment was the first time I won a mandate following a client meeting with the investment committee of a UK university.
What was the most difficult moment of your career and why?
Running frontier markets equity funds was an amazing experience but also quite challenging at times. Seeing client capital get stuck in Egypt or Nigeria on the back of capital controls and currency devaluations was not particularly fun.
What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?
I really don’t know… I don’t feel like I would have done many things differently if I had another go at it, and it’s all part of the learning process anyway. Or maybe I just haven’t got any wiser.
“I don’t feel like I would have done many things differently if I had another go at it, and it’s all part of the learning process anyway. Or maybe I just haven’t got any wiser.”
Away from the workplace, how do you spend your time?
I love practising sport (mainly football, tennis or cycling) but these days most of my time is spent trying to entertain my two kids. Every Sunday, rain or shine, I go to Wimbledon Common for a walk with them.
Tell us about the last book you read or the last podcast you listened to?
I really enjoyed a book called Range by David Epstein. In an increasingly specialised world, it gives good evidence to suggest that generalists prevail in many fields and are better at making long-term predictions. It was interesting to read about people like Roger Federer, Van Gogh and Charles Darwin who mastered their craft without being specialists, at least at the beginning. They really benefitted from experimenting with different things at the start. Breadth rather than depth of knowledge also seems to be a better way of fostering innovation and creativity – an important lesson as we move into a world dominated by artificial intelligence.
“Breadth rather than depth of knowledge also seems to be a better way of fostering innovation and creativity – an important lesson as we move into a world dominated by artificial intelligence.”
Where was the last place you went on holiday and why?
My last long holiday was to Brazil over Easter. It’s where I grew up before coming to the UK for university, so I try to go back there once a year to see family and friends. It’s an amazing place that’s full of life, and the warm weather helps. I’d highly recommend a visit for those who haven’t been.
In your personal life, what would you like to achieve in the next 12 months?
After a six-year break from the slopes I am looking forward to going skiing again next winter, this time with the whole family. I am a big fan so I’m really hoping the kids will enjoy it or I’ll be pretty devastated.
