Who is John Bennett? From Glasgow investor to Rangers chairman

Bennett is now the man that calls the shots at Ibrox. In twelve months time, he will either raise the league flag to rapturous applause or have a discerning, demanding crowd questioning his leadership on the back of another unsuccessful campaign.

The stakes could not be higher for Bennett the punter or Bennett the chairman. That is, though, just how he likes it and that all-or-nothing, all-in situation is the kind of scenario that he has thrived in over four decades in finance.

The three-year rolling tables that measure the performance of Bennett's funds define his standing and shape his mood. Like in Old Firm life, first is first and second is nowhere.

The fear of failure can overshadow the need to win. That mindset was engrained in Bennett in his upbringing. Whatever ranking he views, he cannot countenance then having to look in the mirror knowing that he has come up short.

Bennett left Knightswood Secondary with a handful of Highers, a heart full of ambition and a head that was focused on making money. He was part of a team of four in his Economics class that won a national investment competition and later finished runner-up, to an 80-something doctor from Cork, in the Observer Investor of the Year award.

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That is one of the few occasions when Bennett has had to settle for second best and that will not be his mindset when he focuses on football rather than finances. He now runs a franchise that oversees portfolios worth £7.5billion as Director of European Equities at Janus Henderson Investors and his appointment as Rangers chairman, as he succeeded Douglas Park in April, was a moment of immense pride.

When the Glaswegian started out in his home city in May 1980, the office of Rangers chairman was not in Bennett's sights. He has been based in Edinburgh and London and travelled around the world but Ibrox has always retained a special place in his affections.

The business of Rangers takes up more of his time than ever before from his family home in the south east of England. In the times of calm or when peace is required, a long-standing passion for fly fishing provides respite from the work and the pleasure.

Bennett will now run Rangers in his name and his image. His seasons as vice-chairman saw title 55 be delivered and Rangers reach the Europa League final before winning the Scottish Cup.

Yet there have been times of disharmony in the stands and disappointment on the pitch. Bennett could only do so much as second in command and a new era now promises a fresh approach as Rangers are reinvigorated at all levels.

Winning number 56 is not just a target to aim for, it is a goal that simply must be achieved, the new infatuation. If it is not lifted, Bennett, and boss Michael Beale, will have failed.

Bennett will not wish to be chairman should the moment arrive when Celtic surpass Rangers in terms of titles and the proclamation of 'the world's most successful football club' has to be peeled off the walls of Auchenhowie.

Celtic's pursuit of their Old Firm rivals was aided when Scottish football was turned from a duopoly into a monopoly during Rangers' financial troubles. Those days are long gone at Ibrox, though, and the ambition for Bennett must be a period of sustained success rather than fleeting achievements.

A line can be drawn between determined and obsessive. Bennett falls on the side of the latter. Those who reach the highest echelons of their chosen field cannot just be talented or eager, they must possess an edge and a focus that sets them apart.

Bennett has never been afraid to take risks. He uprooted his family to London just months after the birth of his daughter, the youngest of his four children, because he felt the environment in Edinburgh was too cosy and comfortable.

Those that surrounded him were content to pay off their mortgages and take memberships at the finest golf clubs in the land. That wasn't Bennett and the sacrifices of time away from his wife and kids, of cancelled holidays and plans changed at short notice have paid off now that he leads one of the the City's most established and reputable firms.

His first steps were taken with the Clydesdale Bank at branches such as Partick and Bearsden. Even then, the stock market carried an appeal for a shrewd operator that had caught the trading bug.

Bennett moved into money management with Ivory & Sime in September 1987. The following month, Black Monday saw losses of $1.71trillion recorded across the global markets.

Two of the six trainees, Bennett included, survived the inevitable cull. He went on to spend 17 years as Investment Director at Global Asset Management and led the European equities side of the business before moving to Gartmore, who were acquired by Henderson within a year of his appointment.

It is a world where the rewards are as big as the risks. Those at the heart of it describe it like a drug and the rush elicited is one that is only truly appreciated when the chips fall in your favour.

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The best fund managers are perhaps slightly OCD, could be seen as nasty to some and are definitely selfish. There can be an insecurity about them but the winning is always more important than taking part.

To use a sporting analogy, look at the difference between Andy Murray and Tim Henman. The Englishman was an unassuming but gifted tennis player. Murray, on the other hand, has a mindset and a work ethic that takes his ability to another level.

The most talented players and most accomplished managers are the same. Rangers is a club that asks unique questions of a man's character and only the fittest will survive. That has certainly been the case during Bennett's chairmanship thus far.

There is a new chain of command at Ibrox. Like any, it is only as strong as its weakest link and the bonds between the three central protagonists - Bennett, Beale and James Bisgrove - continue to be strengthened as they work through the summer transfer window.

The trio do not need to have the same personalities or agree on every decision, but the alignment in philosophies and objectives must be straight and true. Right now, that is the case.

Bennett, who holds a 5.51 per cent stake in RIFC plc, has never been afraid of doing what has been required at Ibrox. His business acumen has been as important as his money in recent years and the £10million loan facility he confirmed at the Annual General Meeting last December took his personal commitment to £23million at that point.

There is a realisation at Ibrox that relationships had to change and be forged. Bennett is an advocate of trying to make friends and influence people and Rangers must build alliances with those clubs who share their frustrations or their visions as well as engaging more constructively with those in the corridors of power at Hampden and Holyrood, and with the Fourth Estate.

Bisgrove will be front and centre of that process in many regards. He encapsulates the dynamism that Rangers were looking for and the departures of Stewart Robertson, Andrew Dickson and Ross Wilson come at a time of significant change on the park as Beale rebuilds a squad that had around £15million spent on it just twelve months ago.

Further investment was not asked for by Wilson or Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the aftermath of Champions League qualification. If the question is put to the board this time, Bennett will do his best to provide Beale with a suitable answer as Rangers shave millions off the wage bill and then reinvest to raise the spend once again.

In time, the recruitment process will be overseen by a new figurehead. The process to replace Wilson continues behind the scenes but there is no rush to make an appointment while the work is continuing apace with Bennett, Beale and Bisgrove leading the way.

The next man appointed at Auchenhowie could see their remit and scope change. The position of Head of Academy that Craig Mulholland will vacate must also be filled in due course.

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The gear has changed at Ibrox. Some will say it is evolution, others will paint it as revolution as Bennett leads Rangers into a new era.

He has picked up where Park left off and taken the role in his own direction. There are lessons to learn from and glories to try and replicate as the third chairman since regime change embarks on his tenure.

Ultimately, Bennett’s stewardship will be judged on titles. The league tables always tell the truth, after all.