BlackRock – The asset manager has announced a major reorganisation of its senior management in order to prepare for the eventual succession of chief executive and co-founder Larry Fink. However, both Fink and Rob Kapito, the company’s president, remain in their current roles. Rob Goldstein, global head of BlackRock’s institutional client business (ICB) and BlackRock Solutions (BRS), has been named chief operating officer, replacing Charlie Hallac, promoted to the new role as co-president of BlackRock. Meanwhile, Goldstein is replaced by Mark McCombe, currently chairman of BlackRock Asia Pacific, although he also continues in the latter role until the end of 2014. He also becomes chairman of BlackRock Alternative Investors. Ken Wilson, chairman of BlackRock Alternative Investors, is the new chairman of Alpha Strategies, while global head of strategy and planning Patrick Olson becomes COO of EMEA. Except where stated otherwise, all new positions are effective from 1 June.  

Royal Mail – Ben Piggott has been appointed the defined contribution plan’s secretary as from 1 May, replacing Liz Byrne. Piggott was formerly an investment consultant at JLT Group and spent eight years at Jardine Lloyd Thompson.

Towers Watson – John Ball, currently head of the company’s retirement business in the UK, has been appointed EMEA head of retirement solutions from June 2014. He succeeds Mark Stewart, who retires from the company after 22 years of service.

F&C – Ralph van Daalen has been appointed sales director for F&C Netherlands. He previously worked for Towers Watson, where he was responsible for advising institutional investors. The asset manager has also appointed Anna-Sterre Nette as associate director on its governance and sustainable investment team. Over the past four years, Nette has built up the ESG research team for SynTao, a Beijing-based consultancy promoting sustainability and responsibility in the Asian region.

State Street Global Advisors – Steve Muzzlewhite has been appointed senior sales manager for the UK intermediary business, one of three newly-created roles in its intermediary business group (IBG) in the UK, Italy and Benelux. Primarily responsible for the promotion of the company’s active mutual fund business, Muzzlewhite joins from Commerzbank, and has over 20 years’ experience in investment management sales. Desirée Scarabelli has been appointed senior sales manager responsible for SSgA’s intermediary business in Italy and joins from BNY Mellon Investment Management. Elaine Coussement, meanwhile, has become senior sales manager for SSgA’s intermediary business in Benelux, joining from the business development department at Amundi Asset Management Benelux.  In addition, Alistair Byrne has been appointed senior defined contribution (DC) investment strategist, responsible for expanding the company’s DC product offering. He joins from Towers Watson where he was a senior DC investment consultant.

RBC Investor & Treasury Services –- Pascal Thorens has been appointed managing director, Switzerland. He was most recently head of sales and distribution at Clariden Leu Asset Management and a member of its asset management executive committee. Previously, he held a number of senior roles at Nordea, Credit Suisse and UBS. Thorens succeeds Marco Siero, who relocates to Luxembourg, taking up new responsibilities for client service.

Stone Drum Partners – Richard Meyrick has been appointed partner at the company, a boutique investment firm specialising in Asian long only and long-short equity products. In this role, he is responsible for sales, marketing, public relations and client services, as well as developing the overall business. Meyrick was previously head of sales, marketing and client services at Veritas Asset Management.

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