UniversalSelect: Gresham House

With assets under management of GBP 8.7 billion globally*, including GBP 3.4 billion in forestry, Gresham House’s distinctive investment proposition and approach sets it apart from the competition. Recognised as a top ten natural capital manager by value, Gresham House is the seventh largest forestry investment manager in the world and provides its clients with a platform of financial return-generating natural capital assets with established track records. These include sustainable forestry, sustainable agriculture, carbon forestry and biodiversity creation. 

^{*As at 31 December 2024}

Investment themes

 

Gresham House partners with its clients to help them achieve their financial and sustainability objectives by investing in key megatrends: 

• Natural capital – providing its clients with access to a platform of return-generating land-based and climate-positive assets with established track records
• Energy transition – supporting its clients’ decarbonisation ambitions and the global transition to net-zero carbon emissions
• Social impact – investing in a range of assets that provide benefits to people, from broadening digital access to providing affordable housing options, as well as local or regional investment solutions 
• Growth capital – directing capital into small and growing businesses that aim to generate long-term growth as well as driving productivity gains 

 

Investment approach – forestry 

Gresham House’s forestry division invests in new woodland plantations and established sustainable commercial forestry across the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Northern Europe – investment regions with temperate climates that will be resilient to climate change in the future, with robust legal systems, low political risk and strong land tenure, deep timber markets and strong supply/demand prospects. 

Afforestation is a core strategy for the division and plays a critical role in carbon sequestration, reversing biodiversity loss and enhancing natural capital alongside a myriad of other public externalities.

Gresham House intends to improve the world’s natural resource base through the sustainable management of forest assets. Rigorous monitoring and reporting of assets are designed to drive impact decisions across the company’s forestry strategies, ensuring that strong financial returns are delivered alongside sustainability objectives. 

As a truly active manager the team delivers returns from timber sales, carbon sequestration, carbon credit sales and capital growth from land and trees.

Fund structures

Gresham House offers a range of ways to access asset classes including direct investments, managed accounts and comingled long-term funds, to suit the portfolio construction needs of institutional investors. Risk is mitigated by investing through established fund structures –predominantly closed-ended funds – and via a portfolio of assets. Through direct investments alongside its funds, Gresham House offers professional investors the opportunity to increase exposure to specific sectors and regions of choice on a deal-by-deal basis. 

Forestry funds

The team offers investors access to forestry funds, delivering return from nature capital.

Forestry team

Gresham House draws on 40+ years’ expertise in forestry investment and employs a team of 35 dedicated forestry specialists who closely collaborate with the company’s infrastructure professionals to offer a sustainable value proposition. 

The forestry team is led by Olly Hughes, Managing Director of the Forestry division at Gresham House and David Gardner, CIO, Forestry.

Olly Hughes has 25 years’ experience working in the finance sector focused on real assets strategies. 

David Gardner has 30+ years’ expertise and is a specialist in international forestry investing and asset management with a background in developing and managing forestry and forest carbon asset-backed portfolios.

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