Fund Management Profile: Standard Life

And he's off... John Thomson wants to talk about the future. Without giving your reporter a moment to pour the tea, crunch into the biscuits or even switch on the tape recorder, Standard Life's chief investment manager is busy pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the 49 bn fund management operation over which he presides. 'We recognize that standing still in our existing markets is not good enough,' he says. 'We've got to continue to extend the product offering and the level of service