Michael Scherb, founder and CEO of Appian Capital Advisory
Full Name: Michael Winston Scherb
Position: Founder and CEO of Appian Capital Advisory
Main Activity of the Company: Appian Capital Advisory is a private capital provider to the metals and mining and mining-adjacent sectors
Date and Place of Birth: November 5, 1981, Taichung, Taiwan
Nationality: Half Austrian and half Singaporean
Schools and Tertiary Education: I grew up in seven countries across Asia, Europe and the US, with a different school each time
First Job: Bagging groceries at a Krogers department store in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the US, and then working in the kitchen at a steakhouse in Canterbury, UK, for additional income during university
Career History Prior to Current Position: I started my career in Beijing, China, structuring foreign investment, and then joined JPMorgan’s Metals and Mining team in London, where I advised on $185-billion worth of deals before founding Appian
Size of First Pay Packet: I received the minimum wage at Krogers and less than the minimum wage at the steakhouse, as they factored shared tips into the pay
First Job with Present Group: Founder and CEO
Value of Assets under Your Control: About $6-billion (including co-investments)
Number of People under Your Leadership: About 70 in the fund and about 6 600 in the portfolio companies
Management Style: High intensity and results orientated, but also encouraging of continual learning and second-level thinking within the team
Personal Best Achievement: The birth of my sons
Professional Best Achievement: Founding Appian aged 29
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Our initial investors, who believed in the vision
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Howard Marks
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Chip Goodyear
Biggest Ever Opportunity: Finding an industry crucial to society which was also highly inefficient and with high barriers to entry for competing capital
Favourite Reading: The Most Important Thing, by Howard Marks, or Big Deal, by Bruce Wasserstein, although all books on investing and history, and biographies are worth a read
Favourite TV Programme: Any sporting event
Favourite Food/Drink: All food, Super Tuscan red wines
Favourite Music: Anything from Blues to Deep House and everything in between
Favourite Sport: US university American football and basketball
Hobbies: All sports, travel, art, food, shooting, music, hiking and attempting to parent
How Do You Give Back: Mainly through the Appian Way Charitable Foundation, which has created about 11 000 jobs adjacent to our primary operations
Car: Tesla
Pets: None – I travel too much
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Lack of effort
Days Spent Travelling in a Normal Year: More than 200
Children: Maximilian and Caspian
Favourite Clubs: West Ham United, Ohio State football and Cincinati Bearcat basketball