Meet the Team

Dr Manny Pohl AM

BOARD CHAIRMAN

Manny graduated with a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering followed by an MBA and a Doctorate in Business Administration. He was a member of the South African delegation to the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and recognised in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his service to the finance industry with his appointment as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.

He was appointed Chairman of the SDL board in November 2025 when SDL was acquired by EC Pohl & Co., a family office with investments in a number of companies providing financial services globally. Individually managed, share portfolio services are provided to sophisticated investors by its wholly owned subsidiary EC Pohl & Co Private Wealth and its other highly acclaimed associate, ECP Asset Management, offers investment management services to large institutional investors in Australia and globally via individual mandates and its ECP UCITS ICAV.

Keith Ashworth-Lord

FOUNDER & EMERITUS FUND MANAGER

Keith graduated with a degree in Astrophysics, followed by a postgraduate Master's degree in Management Studies from Imperial College, London. His career spans over 35 years in equity capital markets, working in company investment analysis, corporate finance and fund management.

Keith is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, having formerly been an individual member of the Stock Exchange, and he holds the Investment Management Certificate of the United Kingdom Society of Investment Professionals.

Keith was one of the leading lights responsible for research and writing the well-regarded monthly publication Analyst between 1997 and 2008. It was in this role that he became acquainted with the group of US value investors colloquially known as ‘the Buffettologists’. For five years prior to founding Sanford DeLand Asset Management in 2010, in his role as a self-employed consultant to a variety of stockbroking, fund management and pension fund clients, he won four Thomson-Reuters StarMine stock-picking awards.

Scott Barrett

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

DIRECTOR

Scott was appointed a director of SDL in October 2025. 

He is a Chartered Accountant and is the Chief Financial Officer for EC Pohl & Co Pty Ltd and three related ASX Listed Investment Companies. 

Prior to joining the EC Pohl Group, Scott was the CFO at the Lancemore Group and an Area Financial Controller with Rydges Hotels & Resorts, executing business operations and financial management in the hospitality and property industries across Australia and New Zealand. 

Ryan Rajkumar

DIRECTOR 

Ryan was appointed to the SDL board in October 2025, overseeing Sales and Marketing activities.

Ryan is a Principal at ECP Asset Management UK Ltd, overseeing EMEA distribution, led by the firm's Global Growth strategy. He brings over 30 years’ experience in the industry, which includes over a decade at Aberdeen Investments and senior roles with Fidelity International, BNY Investments, and UBS Asset Management. He joined from Ecofin, where he oversaw UCITS distribution in the EMEA region. Ryan holds a BA (Hons) Economics, as well as the IMC.

Eric Burns

CHIEF Analyst 

FUND MANAGER

Eric began his investment career in 1995 at an independent equity research house. He originally worked with Keith Ashworth Lord from 2007 to 2010 when both were analysts at the institutional broking division of WH Ireland plc where he was voted Analyst of the Year at the 2015 UK SmallCap Awards.

Eric rejoined Keith at SDL in 2020 to lead the stock research process for the UK Buffettology and Free Spirit Funds and was subsequently appointed Lead Manager of the Free Spirit Fund in November 2023 and Deputy Manager of the Buffettology Fund in August 2024. He is a Chartered Fellow of the CISI and sits on the Yorkshire & North East Regional Advisory Group of the London Stock Exchange.

David Beggs

Investment Analyst

FUND MANAGER

David started his career as an Investment Analyst at Castlefield Investment Partners, specialising in UK equities. In 2020, he joined Sanford DeLand, initially as an Investment Analyst, before subsequently being appointed as Co-Manager and then Deputy Manager of the Free Spirit Fund. He is also a Co-Manager of the Buffettology Fund.

David holds a First Class Degree in Economics from Newcastle University and is a CFA Charterholder. He also holds the CFA UK Investment Management Certificate and the CISI Investment Advice Diploma.

Chloe Smith

INVESTMENT ANALYST

FUND MANAGER

Chloe graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Law and a Master’s degree in International Financial Analysis. She began her investment career at Castlefield Investment Partners, where she worked as an Investment Analyst covering UK and European equities. During her time at Castlefield, she developed a strong grounding in ESG-integrated research and was also involved in elements of portfolio management. She subsequently joined Brown Shipley as a Portfolio Manager before joining Sanford DeLand in October 2021, initially as an Investment Analyst and now is co-Manager on the Buffettology and Free Spirit Funds. Chloe holds the Level 4 CISI Investment Advice Diploma, the Level 4 Certificate in Investment Management, and CFA UK Investment Management Certificate.

John O'Donnell

COMPLIANCE OFFICER & MLRO

John joined Sanford DeLand in January 2021 as Compliance Officer & MLRO.

John has more than 35 years’ experience in the investment industry, in compliance functions including Laurence Keen, Rathbones and BWD Rensburg.

Deanne Fleming

FINANCE & HR Executive

Deanne joined Sanford DeLand in January 2020 as the Executive Assistant to the CIO and CEO becoming Finance & HR Executive in April 2022.

Deanne has over 20 years’ back and middle office management experience, including at WH Ireland and TD Waterhouse.

Sanjit Lall

Business Support Executive

Sanjit joined Sanford DeLand in April 2022 as Business Support Executive, bringing over 10 years of fund administration & compliance experience.

He has a degree in Accounting and Finance and is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI).