US
Following on from this week’s scrutiny of Albert Edwards in the New York Times, we thought we’d delve slightly deeper into who Albert (co-head of global strategy at SocGen) is exactly, and how he got there.
Following a brief conversation with Albert himself and a copious search of the internet, we can inform you that:
1) He’s a graduate of Bristol University and Birkbeck College
Albert studied economics and Bristol before going on to study an MSc in economics at Birkbeck College London in 1981-1982. Birkbeck is best known for its evening courses and isn’t usually seen as a launch pad for an investment banking career, but Albert says he studied there during the day too.
2) His first job was at the London Electricity Board
Upon graduation, Albert took a job working for the London Electricity Board as an
economist. He says that it was either that or becoming an accountant (“Not that there’s anything wrong with accountants.”)
3) His second job was at the Bank of England
Evidently a restless youth, Albert only stayed at LEB for six months before going to the Bank of England, where he appears to have remained for around five years.
4) He found his niche at Dresdner Kleinwort
Albert’s defining career move was to Dresdner Kleinwort in 1988. He proceeded to hang around for an unprecedented 19 years and three months, making a name for himself with doom laden predictions which (eventually) came to pass.
In 2006, the FT pointed out that Edwards had been bearish for an entire decade and saw the Japanese market as a template for US developments.
5) He pre-empted the Commerzbank curtailment of Dresdner
In a moment of great foresight, Albert exited Dresdner for SocGen in late 2007, shortly before the poop truly hit the fan.
6) He’s married to a banking PR
Edwards should know how to manage his public persona: he’s married to Rowan Staines, formerly of the PR department at Dresdner and UBS.
7) He wears Birkenstocks
Albert would like to point out that the sandals mentioned by the New York Times were in fact Birkenstocks, and therefore socially acceptable. This does not detract from the fact that his shirt in the NYT photo looks ever so very slightly like a 1970s tablecloth.
You guys are funny reports about finance folks like The Sun reports about footballers and “celebrities”. Maybe it is a British thing
Albert is the bloke who kept calling the market down until he was proved right once….
ah well – luckily he wasnt running anybody”s money eh… he was simply writing guff for Dresdner and SocGen
AllDesai, Agreed, these guys are tools. You would make no money following these people advices. They are overpaid to read historical charts
We’ve just had the most catastrophic disruption to financial markets in 80 years. Wouldn’t it be a bit weird if everything just went back to normal?
According to his CV, he could have been CityBoy’s boss at DrKW, what do you reckon? Maybe he’ll go on to do vitriolic memoirs and spit on the City once he moves on…
This guy used to be teamed up with the great James Montier (now at GMO with Jeremy Grantham) at soc gen. They certainly didn’t write “guff”. Maybe if you had actually read any of their work on value screening you would understand. But then, if anyone who knows anything about economic research would already know that.
He’s similar to the many people in my local pub who doom and gloom about the economy. Only difference is he’s paid about 15 times more.
I wish I worked in equity strategy instead of operations.
@the fake alidesai – you dreams will come true one day. keep praying son
I wish I had a full-time job (instead of a part-time settlements role). How I would love to own a house instead of living in a bedsit in Dollis Hill.
@the fake alidesai – as I said, keep praying son.