How do investment trusts attract the next generation of investors?

In this episode of The Growth Engine, host David sits down with Roland Spencer, former AJ Bell commercial leader and newly appointed investment trust board member, to explore one of the industry’s biggest challenges: connecting investment trusts with retail investors.

Drawing on years of experience at the heart of one of the UK’s leading investment platforms, Roland shares unique insights into:

• Why investment trust marketing needs to focus on emotion, not just performance
• What really drives retail investor behaviour
• Lessons from helping build AJ Bell’s highly successful investment trust marketing proposition
• Why consistent, long-term brand building beats short-term campaigns
• The opportunities and challenges presented by newer investment platforms
• How boards can better understand and engage their shareholders
• Why the next generation of investment trust investors may not be who you think

From platform data and investor psychology to marketing strategy and boardroom decision-making, this conversation offers valuable insights for investment trust directors, asset managers, marketers and anyone interested in the future of retail investing.

In this episode, we're joined by Leah Martin, Head of Marketing at Seraphim Space Investment Trust, who built the brand, content and social infrastructure of one of the most distinctive investment trusts in the UK — as a team of one.

Over five years at Seraphim, Leah has grown a 30,000-strong organic LinkedIn following, developed a visual content strategy powered by native satellite imagery, and built the retail audience that underpinned the biggest retail fundraise in the UK in over five years, raising £45 million from more than 7,000 retail investors.

Tune in as she shares how she built that infrastructure from scratch, why she backed Instagram and podcasting before most investment trust marketers had considered either, and where she's focusing next — from finfluencers to AI search.

In this episode, we're joined by Andrew Jenkins, founder of Volterra Digital and one of Canada's most respected social media strategists, with over two decades of experience helping major financial institutions build social strategies that go beyond paid campaigns.

Most recently, Andrew has worked with some of Canada's largest banks and financial services firms, guiding them from campaign-only thinking to building genuine, lasting communities across social platforms.

Tune in as he shares why listening is the foundation of any social strategy, how to navigate compliance without killing creativity, and what financial services brands need to do right now to stop wasting their social media budgets.

In this episode, we are joined by Gillian Elcock, a board director and non-executive coach working across multiple listed investment companies. Gillian brings a sharp, practical perspective on how investment trusts are rethinking marketing, governance and investor engagement at a time when competition for attention has never been higher — from TikTok to Netflix and everything in between.

Listen as we explore how investment trust boards are beginning to prioritise marketing expertise, and why the race to attract younger retail investors is becoming increasingly urgent. We discuss whether the sector should lean into platforms like YouTube and TikTok, why some boards are creating dedicated sales and marketing committees, and how AI could reshape the way investment trusts communicate with investors. We also look at the tension between short-term shareholder pressure and long-term strategy, and what it really takes for marketers to step into non-executive board roles — including why volunteering can be a powerful first step.

In this episode, we are joined by Stewart, a senior marketing leader and Great Britain Ironman athlete whose career spans firms such as Jupiter, Columbia Threadneedle, Bank of Montreal and Merrill Lynch. Stewart brings together performance coaching, sport and digital transformation to explore a simple question: are we actually getting in the way of AI?

Listen as we discuss why AI should be an exoskeleton for marketers, not a replacement, how his TP framework helps diagnose what is really holding teams back, and why playtime and honest feedback are essential for building skills. We also look at leading marketing and sales teams through mergers, legacy technology and constant pressure, while keeping people at the centre of change.

In this episode, we are joined by Ollie Lago from Allianz Global Investors to explore how Allianz Investment Trusts have evolved their marketing to reach retail investors at scale. Covering Merchants Trust, Allianz Technology Trust and Brunner Investment Trust, Ollie explains how the team moved from product focused messaging to a clearer articulation of investor needs, supported by research, Consumer Duty testing and journey mapping.

We discuss the realities of marketing three separate listed companies under one master brand, the use of Sky AdSmart TV and stock story videos, and how evergreen content and always on activity support long term brand building as well as short term flows. Ollie also shares what the team has learned about younger investors, the increasing importance of digital channels, and where social media fits into their next phase of growth. A lot of content and lots to learn - enjoy!

In this episode, we’re joined by Rebecca Hoberg, Head of Client Marketing at Ninety One – a marketing leader driving strategic focus and commercial impact in institutional asset management. Rebecca shares how Ninety One sharpened its positioning around Emerging Markets and made its content work harder through smart repurposing and precision targeting.

Some background of Ninety One as you listen: Ninety One is an active, global investment manager managing over £152 billion. Their goal is to provide long-term investment returns for clients while making a positive difference to people and the planet. Established in South Africa in 1991 as Investec Asset Management, the firm began as a small start-up offering domestic investments in an emerging market. In 2020, as a global firm proud of their emerging-market roots, the company demerged to become Ninety One. Their heritage and approach bring a different perspective to active and sustainable investing across equities, fixed income, multi-asset and alternatives to clients around the world - with their distinctive emerging-market investing expertise remaining a core strength alongside their broader global capabilities.

Listen as we dive into how hyper-targeted LinkedIn and paid media can reach the right decision-makers, why quality engagement beats volume every time, and how aligning sales, marketing and investment teams translates to measurable growth.

In this episode, we’re joined by Ross Duncton — the marketing leader behind the bold reinvention of F&C, the world’s oldest investment trust. Ross breaks down how the 150-year-old brand sharpened its audience strategy, built distinctive brand assets, and leaned into TV and TikTok to engage both today’s and tomorrow’s investors.

We chat about how to balance heritage with innovation, the role of social media in driving financial education and trust, and what it takes to secure board buy-in for brave marketing moves that fuel long-term growth.

We’re joined by Jeremy Laight, former CMO at Enness Global. A marketing leader with over 20 years in lead roles at Bupa, Crown Worldwide, NatWest, LendInvest and Travelex, he has driven marketing transformations, brand positioning, and customer experience (CX) strategies.

Listen now as we explore how CX, NPS and advocacy drive sustainable growth, why marketing should be at the heart of customer experience, and how to balance brand-building with commercial impact.

In this episode, we’re joined by Shakeela Williamson, an award-winning marketing leader with over 20 years of experience across financial services and fintech.

Most recently CMO of Marketing for Citi’s UK Consumer Bank and EMEA International Personal Bank, Shakeela has led strategies driving growth in high-net-worth wealth management and banking.

Tune in as she shares how to position marketing as a driver of revenue, how to gain influence in the C-suite, and the key to leading transformation through marketing strategy.