MEET THE TEAM.
WILLIAM BOURNE - FOUNDER OF LINCHPIN
For over 37 years, William has worked in institutional asset management, founding Linchpin in 2010 following an earlier venture in fund placement. He is considered a thought-leader within the financial industry, and has various governance and investment advisory roles within the UK public pensions industry. He divides his time between this aspect of the business and Linchpin’s original fund placement arm. He has a Masters in Finance attained from the London Business School.
Current Non-Executive roles:
Independent Adviser to East Sussex Pension Committee
Independent Adviser to Nottinghamshire Pension Fund Committee
Independent Adviser to Middlesbrough Borough Council, who manage Teesside Pension Fund
Independent Chair of the Lancashire County Pension Fund Local Pension Board
SOPHIE GIOANNI - NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sophie has worked at various hedge funds, serving as general counsel and head of business development. She has experience with a broad range of institutional investors including wealth managers, insurance companies, pension funds, endowments, and family offices in Europe, the United States and Asia. Prior to that, Sophie worked in various positions in investment banking and in law in the UK, Spain and the United States. She graduated with a Masters in Law from Duke University and also holds two post-graduate degrees in law from the University Pantheon Sorbonne and in business from the University Paris Dauphine. She was admitted to the Paris Bar in 1995 and the New York Bar in 1996.
RUPERT MIDDLE - NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rupert has been working in the Japanese equity markets since 1982 advising pension funds, hedge funds and mutual funds on their investments. He has worked for two British merchant banks and a number of global investment banks, including in management roles. He spent 25 years working in Tokyo and has been based in London since 2019. He received training at the Board Director Training Institute of Japan.