Hi, Angelique! Who are you, and what do you do now?

I'm Angelique, and since leaving Investec in 2014, I’ve been the Founder and CEO of Handful Of Keys, a specialist property investment and advisory firm based in London. I primarily work in the UK and Europe, but I've taken on some projects in South Africa, and more recently in The Middle East, which keeps me busy.

When did you join and leave Investec? 

After leaving university, I realized that South African property shares were underrated, so I started up Provest Management, an asset management business, buying and trading real estate investment trusts. I did that for five years before Investec. I happily worked in the Johannesburg offices for those five years, then Sir Bradley Fried, the late Sam Hackner and I – who had been looking at globalising the real estate business – set up a joint venture with a German company GLL Real Estate Partners, headquartered in Munich. This led me moving to Investec in London on the invitation of Sir Bradley, who was then the CEO of Investec Bank PLC. I moved to the offices in Gresham Street in September, 2007. My final role at Investec when I left in 2013 was Global Head of Real Estate, based in London, but still with responsibility to South Africa and Australia.

What was the biggest culture shock when you came to the UK?

Probably the style in which people from the UK communicate with colleagues and clients. South Africans are very front footed and direct in their communication. In the UK, people are less direct, so it's quite a skill and an art to understand what people are trying to say without saying it directly! 

Ah – quintessential English politeness, like telling a waiter that everything is fine when, really, the food is awful.

That's it exactly! In South Africa you would say to the waiter “tell the the kitchen that this is not the greatest meal that I’ve ever eaten”. If Investec taught me something, it's to have respect for

cultures, and to conform to cultural nuances across diverse nations. That's very prevalent, as Investec’s offices are across a whole host of countries and cities. 

Are you still in contact with people you used to work with at Investec?

Very much so. When I started a family and decided to go independent, my biggest concern was that I would leave many of the relationships and friendships I had cultivated at Investec over a decade. I was wrong, because at least 80% of my business today is as a function of referral from friends, colleagues, and clients that I established at Investec. I met people at Investec who are now godparents to my children. Those relationships run very deep. I cultivated friends for life through my ten years at Investec – and now through the alumni network.

What skills did you learn at Investec that you still use today?

Investec were amazing at investing into people, so I had the benefit of being on a number of leadership programs. Soft skills were key, particularly the navigation from a South African to a UK culture. I came into Investec when I was young, still in my 20s. I was fortunate enough to have incredible mentors in the form of the late Sam Hackner, the late David Kuper, Stephen Koseff, Andy Leith and Sir Bradley Fried. When you are young and ambitious, treating people with respect and always being kind are invaluable skills in life and in business. 

What do you miss most about your time at Investec? 

The people. I'm in the consultancy business, so I'm surrounded by people all the time. But there is a comradery and energy from collaborating with colleagues who all have a common purpose to have fun and make money for your clients, your shareholders, and for yourselves. That common purpose is very special, and I miss that. 

How did your time at Investec shape the person you are today? 

There is no question it had a significant impact in terms of the person I am today. It was multi-faceted: the unwavering importance around the team; the fact that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole and work together because you'll achieve greater things as a member of the team. That, and also the power of the brand. And there’s the pay back: the more you give, the more you get out. That is absolutely Investec, and the same in life;the more you put in, the more you get out, and that is who I am today