Every week, interesting personalities from the world of finance and beyond share their personal preferences in our section Backstage.

What do you do first in the morning?

No matter how rushed I am or how little time I have, I start my day with a short meditation, usually with some breathwork to clear my mind and prepare for the challenges of the day. It makes a huge difference to everything I do and has become part of my daily routine. Skipping it is not an option.

What is the best thing about your job?

The best part is that it never gets boring. I love the entrepreneurial aspect of what I do and the strategic thinking my role demands – often looking beyond the day-to-day, seeing the bigger picture and combining creativity with analysis. The opportunity to work daily with many talented, exceptionally bright and driven colleagues at BG is another very rewarding aspect of my job. Otherwise, I am passionate about being able to shape outcomes and influence other people’s choices and decisions. I am very fortunate to work for a business that creates an environment that fosters innovation and takes a long-term, optimistic view to growing the business and investing our clients’ money.

A moment that changed your life?

Reflecting consciously on Albert Einstein's deeply philosophical words, «Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.» Recognising the world as an illusion frees us from clinging and echoes Einstein's insight, encouraging us to question our perceptions and to explore different perspectives, inevitably making us more tolerant and creative. I would not call it a life-changing moment, but a life-changing process of realizing what matters and what doesn't in life, both professionally and privately.

What cars do you own? Which is your favorite?

I am not a car person and never cared in the slightest about the status associated with owning a particular car model. However, I like and appreciate comfort and have always had a preference for SUVs. When going on holidays, I can get quite excited about renting a new car model that I have not driven before, probably because I am relentless about exploring new things.   

What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

Always listen and trust your intuition. Be open to change and learn from every setback. Flexibility and adaptability are crucial for success. The latter one is as true for people as it is true for the businesses we invest in.

What are you particularly proud of?

That would be a very long list… at the moment, I am very proud of my son, who graduated from school and passed his Matura exams. I am always proud of my daughter for being just the way she is. Professionally, I am proud to be part and co-create an organisation that is not only successful but also fosters a positive work culture.

What was your biggest defeat?

I don't believe in failure. We all make mistakes. My parents always repeated, like a mantra, that what doesn't break you will make you stronger. It turned out to be useful advice, especially as a young female entering the financial industry.

What projects are you currently working on?

Strengthening an awareness of Baillie Gifford as a partner of choice for investing not just in public growth equity but also in private growth. We are very specialised in what we do and have a proven track record of identifying excellent businesses early on that will grow to multiple times their current value. As companies stay private for longer, there is an increasing number of very exciting companies we are investing in in private markets.

What would be the biggest surprise for someone who had to take over your job for a day?

The variety of tasks and the need to quickly switch between strategic and operational, day-to-day topics would certainly be surprising.

What is your personal drive?

To feel content with what I have done at the end of each day. To channel my energy towards projects that I am passionate about and to positively impact the people that I work and spend time with. To learn and explore new creative ways of addressing everyday challenges and to see progress. I get extremely frustrated with people in a broad sense, being inflexible and unimaginative, and I want to encourage alternative ways of thinking. Progress only happens when we question the status quo.

What are you afraid of?

I don't believe in the concept of fear. Similar to failure, it's not part of my vocabulary. I follow a very pragmatic approach- If you are afraid of something, it is a reason to confront it. There is nothing constructive about being afraid of whatever it might be. And if I cannot influence it, there is no point in spending time worrying about it. People often worry and are afraid of things that will actually never happen.

What do your employees value most about you?

A colleague wrote: «Anna is the kind of leader who genuinely wants others to succeed. She allows space for people to share their ideas and grow, encouraging them to challenge the status quo. She's also a lot of fun to work with.»

Your best investment?

Investing in education, continuous learning and expanding my knowledge also beyond my professional interests was undoubtedly my best investment.

Anna Bretschneider heads Baillie Gifford's Swiss office in Zurich and is a member of the BGE Board as well as the European Leadership Group. She has many years of experience working with professional investors in the DACH region, with a particular focus on Switzerland. Previously, she held senior positions at Macquarie Investment Management and MFS Investment Management. Bretschneider holds a Master of Arts from the University of Gdańsk and an MBA from FOM University of Applied Sciences in Munich.