UK – Manager of managers firm Io Investors, part of South African financial services group Sanlam, has hired Old Mutual’s head of research as part of a UK push.

Deon Gouws joins as chief investment officer from Old Mutual, where he was head of research and manager of the Old Mutual Investors’ Fund at old Mutual Asset Managers in South Africa.

Danny Vassiliades has been appointed as business development director. He joins from Psolve Asset Solutions where he was head of operations and the lead investment consultant to a portfolio of pension scheme clients. Psolve is part of actuarial firm Punter Southall.

His appointment will allow John Conroy to take up the position of client solutions director. Conroy will be responsible for the delivery of investment solutions involving the group’s businesses in the UK.

In the sales team, Gillie Tomlinson has joined as institutional business development manager, and Andy Mellis as market development manager for the retail business.

The appointments have been made to “boost Io Investors’ business in the UK and increase its UK market share of the manager of managers sector”.

Io Investors has approximately 1.3 billion pounds of funds under management within its traditional product range catering for retail and institutional clients, and a further 48 million pounds under management in its alternative investment strategy range of funds.

Io follows in the footsteps of another South African subsidiary, Ansbacher MultiManagers, which is in the process of establishing itself as a player in the European manager of managers market.

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