Former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Andrew Large likes a good challenge. Taking a break from his chairmanship of the Hedge Fund Working Group, an informal consortium of 14 hedge fund executives who early last month called on funds to tighten risk controls and adopt more-transparent valuation practices, Large set out last month to climb Kenya’s Mt. Kilimanjaro for charity. Alongside five other amateur climbers, including his son Jamie and brother Stephen, the 65-year-old financier hopes to scale the mountain’s Uhuru peak, which stands 5,895 meters (19,340 feet) above sea level. Sir Andrew was climbing to benefit Marie Curie Cancer Care, a U.K.-based hospice service. At the time this issue went to press, the six-strong team had raised a total of £265,085 ($547,029), or £44.97 per meter, as they ascend. Upon his return to London, Sir Andrew, who is also chairman of Marshall Wace’s listed hedge fund arm MW Tops, will sift through feedback from fund managers, who may -- or may not -- prove as selfless as Large.
