Esko Energy Partners, Natixis Global Asset Management, State Street Global Advisors, Delta Lloyd Life, AEW Europe, Ashmore Group, Baring Asset Management, Morningstar Investment Management Europe, Manulife Asset Management, BNY Mellon, James Hambro & Partners, CF Partners, AXA Investment Managers

Esko Energy Partners – Carsten Eckery is to join Esko as a new partner and speaker of the board in January 2014. After holding positions as managing director at HypoVereinsbank Group, Allianz Global Investors Group and most recently as chief executive at KGAL, Eckert will join the existing partners in their new venture specialising on energy infrastructure for institutional investors. He will also remain on the supervisory boards of several other companies.

Natixis Global Asset Management – Alex Wharton has been appointed a manager in the UK institutional business development team, while Fred McNeill has been appointed a manager in the UK consultant relationships team. Wharton joins from Capita Employee Benefits, where he was a business development manager. Before then, he spent more than 10 years at the Financial Times Group. McNeill joins from Neptune Investment Management, where he was a manager for its institutional business team. Before then, he worked at UBS Global Asset Management.

State Street Global Advisors – Susan Raynes has been appointed to the newly created role of global head of consultant relations. She will be responsible for SSgA’s consultant relationships globally. In her former role as head of SSgA UK, Middle East and Africa, she was responsible for the UK intermediary, defined contribution and defined benefit teams. Before then, she managed SSgA’s San Francisco office with a focus on some of the largest US consultants and public funds. Before joining SSgA in 1996, she was director of marketing at Cambridge Associates.

Delta Lloyd Life – Christel Droogmans has been appointed head of sales, marketing and product development, as well as a member of the board committee, as of 1 January. In her new role, she will be responsible for pension solutions. Currently, Droogmans is national head of lending and professional customers at ING Belgium, responsible for the development and implementation of the cross-channel sales strategy.

AEW Europe – Raphael Brault has been appointed head of separate accounts and funds in Paris. He will also be a member of the investment and executive committees. Jean Lavieille, deputy CIO, will be retiring during 2014 but will continue as a senior adviser and member of the investment committee thereafter. Brault joins from Acofi-Alms, where he launched the firm’s debt fund platform, and, prior to this, spent 12 years with Morgan Stanley in Paris.

Ashmore Group – Graeme Dell has stepped down from the board of directors to pursue other business opportunities. He will remain employed by the group until 30 April 2014 to enable an orderly handover of his responsibilities. Tom Shippey, currently Ashmore’s head of corporate development, has been appointed group finance director and has joined the board to succeed Dell, pending regulator approval.

Baring Asset Management – Barings, Babson Capital and OFI Global Asset Management have announced the appointment of Gary Smith as head of sovereign wealth funds and official institutions, effective immediately. In a newly created role, Smith will work across the distribution networks of the affiliated firms of Barings, Babson and OFI. He joins from BNP Paribas Investment Partners, where he was global head of official institutions. Before then, he worked at BNP Paribas Group, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Greenwell Montagu.

Morningstar Investment Management Europe – Simon Ewan has been appointed managing director. He will lead operations, client management, marketing and business development for Morningstar’s investment management and consulting operations in the UK and EMEA. He joins from MSCI in London, where he was executive director and head of EMEAI Asset Owners and Consultants. Before then, he was global head of sales at Hermes Fund Managers.

Manulife Asset Management – James Wheeler has been appointed head of institutional sales for the EMEA region. He joins from Legal & General Investment Management in London, where he was a senior client sales and relationship manager focusing on European institutional clients. Before then, he worked with International Financial Data Services and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

BNY Mellon – Lars Hella has been appointed head of depotbank services in Germany. He joined BNY Mellon’s German branch in July and moves into his new role from the global securities operations area. He has previously held positions with the German consulting firm itechx, CACEIS and State Street.

James Hambro & Partners – Simon Brookes has been appointed a director at the private asset management partnership, which advises and manages assets on behalf of private clients and charities. Brookes was previously at Towry, where he looked after a wide portfolio of private clients for six years. 

CF Partners – The advisory, trading and investments firm in renewables and energy has appointed Chris Sherlock as COO. He joins from Adelante Asset Management, where he was a director and COO. In 2005, he helped to established Fenician Capital Management, where he served as partner and COO.

AXA Investment Managers – John Porter has been appointed global head of fixed income, replacing Theodora Zemek, who has decided to leave the company. He will also become a member of AXA IM’s management board.

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