DS Capital is an independent fund manager founded by its Principals, James Davis and Rodney Brott in 2012. DS Capital was established as a wealth creation vehicle to invest and grow capital in a focused and disciplined way. The Principals believed that significant benefits could be derived from having a properly resourced research infrastructure to underpin a professional investment process. Between them, the Principals have close to 35 years investment experience and are experienced in both domestic and international markets.

James is the Chief Investment Officer and Executive Director of DS Capital and is jointly responsible for managing the portfolio of the DS Capital Growth Fund. James spent 10 years at River Capital and has significant investment management experience gained in his roles as an Executive Director and a Portfolio Manager of the River Capital Growth Fund during that time. James is a Chartered Accountant, holds a Commerce/Arts degree from Monash University and has previously worked with KPMG Audit and Corporate Finance and Tolhurst Noall in an Equities Capital Markets role.

Rodney is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of DS Capital and is responsible for the management of the operations of DS Capital and is jointly responsible for the management of the portfolio of the DS Capital Growth Fund. Rodney has been an Equities Director, investment advisor and stockbroker for almost 20 years assisting institutional and high net worth clients in growing and managing wealth. Rodney holds a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws degree from Monash University and a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and was an Equities Director with Ord Minnett until November 2012.

The Fund aims to deliver an average return of at least 10% p.a. through the economic cycle, with a focus on capital preservation. The Fund comprises a concentrated portfolio of small and mid-cap investments selected through a process of quantitative and qualitative analysis.

The investment team looks for industrial businesses that are simple to understand, generally avoiding large caps, pure mining, biotech and start-ups.

They also look for:

- Access to management;
- Businesses with a competitive edge;
- Profitable companies with good margins, organic growth prospects, strong market position and a track record of healthy dividend growth;
- Sectors with structural advantage and barriers to entry;
- 15% p.a. pre-tax compound return on each holding; and
- A history of stable and predictable cash flows that DS Capital can understand and value.