FAMILY VALUES

RQI Investors chief executive Andrew Francis knows the value of hard work and meaningful relationships drive a successful business thanks to his family. Key to that success is also expressing sincere gratitude. Karren Vergara writes.

- Karren Vergara

Growing up in Wagga Wagga, Andrew Francis and his brother regularly found themselves in the saleyards.

Looking back on it, he thinks it might have been his parents' way of getting the boys out of the house.

Francis' family business has a long history in farming, operating a stock and station agency, spanning generations from his grandfather to father, as well as his father's brothers and cousins.

"I worked in the business for a year after school, before going to university to study accounting and finance," he says.

"I saw my dad and uncles trade cattle and livestock - buy low and sell high. That helped me become interested in markets and trading."

From a young age, Francis recognised and learned the value of hard work that goes into running a business from his father.

"I also learned from my father the value of treating a client with the utmost respect," he says.

"Mum was also shrewd with money, and she made sure the money we had went as far as it went. All those things were instilled in us: hard work, look after your clients, be sensible and prudent with money for the long term and importantly, look after others who are less fortunate than yourselves."

These values, along with the lessons learned from his father, anchored Francis in good stead as he embarked on higher learning and a future career as a professional investor and business leader.

After university, Francis went on a three-week rugby tour where his team played against other universities' rugby teams from the UK and Ireland.

A few of them went to Austria to go skiing. He ended up staying and working in a ski resort in Austria and then travelled through Eastern Europe before returning to London to work in back-office banking jobs.

"I went to Europe for the running of the bulls, then to Greece and Turkey and then I'd work to save more money and travel again. I went as far as Africa and the Middle East," he recalls.