Interview With John Fisher, CEO, Bridgeport Asset Management
Ben Sinclair
Joining me today is John Fisher, CEO of Bridgeport Asset Management. John founded Bridgeport in 2007 and is the chief architect of Bridgeport's investment strategy with ultimate responsibility for all aspects of the investment process and client relations. Prior to Bridgeport, John spent 10 years at private equity company Clairvest Group, and he also has past experience in investment banking at one of the big five Canadian banks, and in accounting at one of the big four accounting firms. John, thank you very much for joining me.
John Fisher
Thanks for having me on Ben, really appreciate it.
Ben Sinclair
So you just heard a brief synopsis of your background. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about it and how you got into the industry.
John Fisher
I actually came to the industry from a slightly different angle than I think a lot of people did. I spent the bulk of my pre-Bridgeport asset management career in the private equity world, over a decade as you pointed out at a middle market private equity firm called Clairvest Group. While I was there, I did basically middle market private equity.
We invested in fairly traditional businesses, service-based businesses, manufacturing businesses, industrial businesses, they tended to be really niche industries, which is what you find in middle market private equity, like casinos here in Canada that operated under provincial licenses, debt collection firms. We invested in home alarm monitoring companies, consumer product companies, you name it. They tended to be really niche-y sort of businesses.
So I spent a decade doing that, and as you pointed out as well, I spent time in the investment banking world and started out in the accounting world, so I came to the business with I guess a pretty strong investment DNA. And I started Bridgeport pretty much from scratch in 2007. So I've been at it 18 years, so it's been a super interesting journey.
Ben Sinclair
So what led you to leave Clairvest and start a brand new asset manager?
