James Bennett
James Bennett is the Chief Executive Officer of Oakwood Family Office, with a career spanning global equity research, institutional portfolio management, hedge fund strategies, asset allocation, and multigenerational family wealth management.
Opinion
James Bennett's investment philosophy centers on capital preservation, disciplined risk management, and long-term portfolio construction rather than short-term market speculation. His approach reflects the needs of family capital, where resilience and continuity can be as important as absolute returns.
His perspective on artificial intelligence and digital assets is similarly selective. Instead of treating technological change as a reason to chase every new trend, he focuses on understanding the structural economic forces, capital flows, infrastructure requirements, and valuation opportunities created by innovation.
Method
- 1 Analyze global economic cycles, interest rates, capital flows, valuations, and structural changes before defining portfolio positioning.
- 2 Combine top-down macroeconomic research with bottom-up fundamental analysis to assess both market conditions and individual investment opportunities.
- 3 Build portfolios around diversification, liquidity, asset correlations, downside protection, and long-term family objectives.
Profile
A CFA® charterholder, James Bennett holds a Master's degree in Financial Economics and an Honors Bachelor's degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of Exeter, alongside extensive institutional investment and family office experience.
“True wealth management is not about pursuing every market opportunity. It is about building a capital framework capable of navigating market cycles and serving a family for generations.”
Career
Global Equity Research at HSBC
Bennett began his career at HSBC as a Global Equity Research Analyst, developing a foundation in company fundamentals, valuation, economic analysis, and the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and global equity markets.
Senior Portfolio Management
He later served as a Senior Portfolio Manager with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Julius Baer Group, where his work included long/short equity strategies, hedge fund portfolios, and broader institutional portfolio management.
Deputy CIO and Investment Team Leadership
In London, Bennett became Head of a Central Investment Team and Deputy Chief Investment Officer at a Rockefeller-affiliated organization, overseeing independently managed, multi-currency portfolios across multiple global asset classes.
CEO of Oakwood Family Office
At Oakwood Family Office, Bennett leads strategic direction and investment frameworks for high-net-worth families, aligning asset allocation with risk tolerance, liquidity needs, wealth preservation, and multigenerational financial objectives.
Research & Opinion
Global Macro and Market Cycles
Bennett studies the long-term interaction between economic cycles, monetary policy, interest rates, capital flows, valuations, and asset prices to understand how changing macro conditions can influence portfolio risk and expected returns.
Family Capital and Portfolio Resilience
His wealth management research emphasizes portfolio construction, liquidity management, diversification, asset correlations, downside protection, and sustainable capital appreciation across changing economic environments and generations.
AI and the Next Investment Era
Bennett views artificial intelligence as a structural force extending beyond technology companies into semiconductors, computing infrastructure, energy, finance, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, blockchain, tokenization, and digital assets.