Simon E. Porter

Simon Porter is a Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager. He takes a long-term, value-oriented approach with a capital preservation mentality. He works closely with Leonard Berman, Paul Patrick, and Josh Marans to provide a comprehensive solution set for clients. In addition, Simon has been an active contributor to First Manhattan's research team throughout his tenure at the firm.

Prior to joining First Manhattan in 2002, Simon worked in public accounting—focused on audit and assurance services—at what is now BDO Australia and with Deloitte & Touche in New York. His strong financial and analytical background, which he gained by evaluating financial plans and accounting estimates, analyzing financial statements, assessing internal controls, and undertaking forensic accounting projects, informs and strengthens his work as a Portfolio Manager.

Simon holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Murdoch University in Western Australia. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Australia and earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation after moving to the US.

Simon is an avid runner and tennis and paddle player. He resides in Connecticut with his wife, Erin, and their three sons.

Portfolio construction and management

Simon's client portfolios are typically comprised of a manageable number of individual equity securities that are sensibly diversified by industry, geography, and market capitalization. His investments routinely exhibit a number of common attributes that he believes generate compelling, risk-adjusted returns over time. These include:

• Strong financial condition. Strong underlying financial health provides management with financial flexibility, alleviates liquidity concerns, and increases the likelihood of sustainable increases to dividend payouts.
• Shareholder-oriented management. To complement his rigorous quantitative financial analysis, Simon regularly engages with company executives to evaluate their track record, motivation, integrity, and ability to execute a business plan.
• Cash flow that is consistently increasing. Simon looks for cash-generating businesses with management that he believes will redeploy capital in a way that maximizes shareholder value.
• A competitive advantage. Simon seeks to understand the "secret sauce"—whether derived from a proprietary technology, operating discipline, or corporate culture—that fortifies a company's relevant strengths and prospects in a given industry.
• Income generation. He prefers investments that generate a dividend stream.
• Attractively valued. Simon gives careful consideration to both absolute and relative valuation metrics to ensure that an existing or potential investment's current stock price represents a meaningful discount relative to what he sees as the company's ultimate potential value.

Simon values transparency and is readily available to discuss specific portfolios, asset allocation, and general financial matters. He personally invests alongside his clients.