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Barney Rhys Jones Appointed Infrastructure Investment Director

Oxford Capital has appointed Barney Rhys Jones as an Investment Director in its infrastructure team. Barney will manage Oxford Capital’s renewable energy and infrastructure asset portfolio and operational aspects of the investment management process.

Barney was previously Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at Good Energy PLC, the UK’s first dedicated 100% renewable electricity supplier. After graduating with a first class civil engineering degree from Imperial College, London, Barney worked as field engineer with oil-field services firm Schlumberger before joining Bain & Company the global strategy consulting firm as an associate consultant. Having worked with clients in the UK and overseas in financial services, consumer goods and telecoms.

Barney joined Telewest Broadband where he was responsible for launching the UKs first broadband service for small businesses. Since then Barney has been involved in commercial and operational management of businesses in a range of renewable sectors including biomass, wind, solar PV, waste to energy and anaerobic digestion. Barney is responsible for maximising the yield of Oxford Capital’s portfolio of infrastructure assets through commercial management, use of technology and effective management processes.

Oliver Hughes, Infrastructure Investment Director, Oxford Capital, said: “Oxford Capital has quickly established itself as an important investor in the renewable energy sector. Barney brings a wealth of experience in renewable energy, combined with a strong engineering background and senior management expertise in fast growing and private equity-backed businesses. He will be a huge asset to our team as our infrastructure investment portfolio continues to grow.”

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Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.

What are the key risks?

  1. You could lose all the money you invest
    1. If the business you invest in fails, you are likely to lose 100% of the money you invested. Most start-up businesses fail.
  2. You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong
    1. Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker here.
    2. Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated firm, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.
  3. You won’t get your money back quickly
    1. Even if the business you invest in is successful, it may take several years to get your money back. You are unlikely to be able to sell your investment early.
    2. The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.
    3. If you are investing in a start-up business, you should not expect to get your money back through dividends. Start-up businesses rarely pay these.
  4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
    1. Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.
    2. A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments. https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart/5-questions-ask-you-invest
  5. The value of your investment can be reduced
    1. The percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
    2. These new shares could have additional rights that your shares don’t have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.

 

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA’s website here.