The World Gold Council announced that it has appointed John Reade as Chief Market Strategist. Reade joins the World Gold Council from Paulson & Co, where he served as Managing Partner of Paulson Europe and Gold Strategist. Prior to Paulson & Co, Reade worked at UBS as the Precious Metal Strategist for a number of years. He is widely viewed as one of the preeminent gold analysts in the world.
Reade will help the World Gold Council to meet the increasing demand for insights and information on the role that gold can play in managing risk and boosting returns in both individual and institutional investor portfolios.
Gold was one of the best performing assets last year, returning 8% in US$ terms. Over the past ten years, its dollar value has increased by 80%. Gold’s performance and the geopolitical and macro-economic outlook have substantially increased interest in gold from investors around the world. This includes both the re-emergence of old investors, such as German households who have become prolific buyers of gold since the financial crisis, as well as new institutional investors, such as pension and insurance funds and investment banks.
Aram Shishmanian, CEO of the World Gold Council, said:
We are seeing a step change in mainstream investors’ interest in gold, partly driven by gold’s recent price performance and partly by the ongoing risk environment. Far from easing, 2017 has ushered in an even more complex set of political and economic conditions for investors and fund managers to navigate. Inflated stock market valuations, Brexit and fears of currency depreciation and the divergence in monetary policies in the US and Europe are a number of the intricacies that investors face. John will play a crucial role in helping to analyse market conditions and inform investors and policy makers of the stabilising role that gold can play in a world of heightened risk.
John Reade commented:
I am delighted to join the World Gold Council and look forward to my role as Market Strategist. I believe there will be great benefits from combining the expertise and contacts of the World Gold Council’s existing team with the insights generated from my three decades working in precious metals strategy and related fields.
John joined the World Gold Council as Chief Market Strategist on 1st February 2017 and reports to Aram Shishmanian.