UK- Investec Asset Management has hired Belinda Morrisey to fill its newly-created position of head of client relations. She reports to Mark Samuelson, global head of institutional business development and Andrew Peake, head of UK client service.

Based in London, she will be responsible for the six-strong client servicing team. Prior to joining Investec, Morrisey ran a similar team at Schroder Investment Management.

Samuelson says the appointment is due to a realisation that it is no longer feasible for fund managers to assume the role of client relations.

“For numerous reasons, the industry is becoming more complicated,” he says, adding “in the pension fund arena, Myners’ 10 principles are likely to result in the need for an even greater dialogue with clients and this appointment will enhance our ability to provide them with the service they require.”

Investec entered the UK market roughly four years ago and has subsequently built up an equities team while Paul Griffiths, formerly of Invesco, has built up a fixed income team.

It has taken on a number of new pension fund clients, both public and private. Earlier this year it won three new mandates worth a combined €355m.

It was selected to run a £40m balanced portfolio for the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust which makes grants for medical research to UK hospitals and universities.

SPIRE Worldwide, an Isle of Man-based insurance company, selected it to run two mandates – £60m in global fixed income and £118 in global equities.

New funds of £1.2bn in the past year take total assets to £16bn which it runs on behalf of pension funds, charities, governments, corporations and individuals.



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