David Appleton joined Brooks Macdonald via its 2020 acquisition of Edinburgh wealth manager Cornelian, where over seven years he had helped build the profile of its fund range to £1bn. He previously spent a decade as analyst and manager at single family office Alder Investment Management.

At Brooks he is now head of the real estate team and is additionally involved in a number of other selection teams. He names Atrato Onsite Energy as his hidden gem, which finances solar panels on commercial property rooftops, and says he is ‘excited’ about its prospects.

‘Given the sharp rise in electricity prices, the economic case for installing rooftop solar has been materially strengthened, potentially accelerating and broadening out the opportunity set,’ he said. ‘We believe this is a great example of a “win-win” where investors can play a direct role in advancing the energy transition.’