Robert J. Aylward

Robert Aylward is a Senior Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, and Research Analyst with more than 30 years of investment experience.

Prior to joining First Manhattan in 1987, Bob was an Analyst and Portfolio Manager at Southfield Investment Management, where he co-managed concentrated equity portfolios for high-net-worth clients.

Bob holds an MBA from George Washington University and a BBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Portfolio construction and management

With decades of investing experience, Bob has seen firsthand what can go right and wrong with a business and believes that taking a contrarian view from the rest of the market is often the best way to preserve clients' wealth and avoid losses. Bob's hard-won acumen enables him to find what he views as high-quality assets and businesses run by shareholder-oriented management when they are available at attractive valuations.

The portfolios Bob manages typically consist of 20 – 25 stocks that he believes:

• Offer attractive long-term returns.
• Provide the opportunity to enjoy a long runway of compounding value.
• Have smart, shareholder-friendly management teams that make responsible capital allocation decisions.
• He would invest in personally. Bob invests his personal capital alongside his clients.