People moves: Ex-Ericsson Pensionsstiftelse deputy CIO joins AP7 [updated]

FCA, Pensions Quality Mark, Arkadiko, AP7, Ericsson Pensionsstiftelse, EDHEC-Risk Institute, PMI, Russell Investments, William Blair, OneFamily, First State Investments, Amundi, Lyxor, Aviva, Aktia, KAS Bank, BMO GAM, Muzinich & Co, LGIM, Deutsche, HSBC

(This article has been updated with the FCA and Arkadiko appointments)

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - Former shadow minister of state for pensions Gregg McClymont has been appointed deputy co-chairman of the UK regulator’s working group on costs and charges disclosure in the asset management sector. Jeff Houston, head of pensions at the Local Government Association, is the other deputy co-chairman. Chris Sier, a veteran campaigner for cost transparency, was named head of the group last month. McClymont, who is head of retirement at Aberdeen Standard Investment, has also been appointed to the Pensions Quality Mark (PQM), the UK pension trade body’s standard for recognising high quality defined contribution pension schemes. At PQM, McClymont will replace Adrian Boulding. 

Arkadiko - Colin Melvin, the former global head of stewardship at Hermes Investment Management, has founded a consultancy, Arkadiko, to help investors improve the quality of their stakeholder relationships, “thereby strenthening their business models”. It aims to help rectify failures of the financial system by helping investors adopt longer-term behaviour. Melvin is managing director at the firm. He left Hermes in December 2016.

EDHEC-Risk Institute - Three pension fund executives have joined the institute’s international advisory board: Jayne Atkinson, chief investment officer of Unilever UK Pension Fund, Takashi Yamashita, director, investment strategy at Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, and Brnic Van Wyk, head of asset/liability management in the investments division of Australian superannuation fund, QSuper. Stéphane Monier, head of private client investments at Lombard Odier, and Lisa Shalett, head of investment and portfolio solutions at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, also joined the 37-strong advisory board. It is chaired by Mark Fawcett, CIO of the trustee body running the UK master trust NEST.

AP7 - Pontus von Essen has joined the Swedish buffer fund as senior portfolio manager. He was previously deputy chief investment officer at Ericsson Pensionsstiftelse, the Swedish pension foundation for Ericsson employees, where he had co-responsibility for the its asset allocation and manager selection in all asset classes. He took on that role in March 2014, having previously been a portfolio manager and head of equities at the foundation. Von Essen joined AP7 this month. 

Pensions Management Institute (PMI) - Lesley Carline and Lorraine Harper are taking over from Gerry DeGaute and Robert Branagh, respectively, as vice-presidents of the UK professional body. Carline is a director at KGC Associates and Harper is a director and head of governance services at JLT Benefit Solutions. Branagh was recently appointed president of PMI, succeeding Kevin LeGrand.

Russell Investments - The Seattle-headquartered asset manager has chosen Michelle Seitz as its new CEO, to replace Len Brennan. She joins after 16 years at the helm of William Blair Investment Management. Before taking on the leadership role she was head of the firm’s private wealth management business. Brennan will serve as chairman of Russell Invesments until the end of 2017, when he will become a strategic advisor to the firm.

OneFamily - The UK customer-owned financial services company has appointed Denise Saber as a funding consultant to help it build its lifetime mortgage business with institutional investors. Before joining OneFamily, she was head of institutional business development at First State Investments and partner and head of distribution at Craigmore Farming Partnership, where she helped establish the firm’s first private equity farming fund. She has also been head of European business development at Insight Investment.

Amundi Asset Management - Thierry de Vergnes has been hired as head of debt fund management within the asset manager’s dedicated platform for real and alternative assets. He previously worked at Lyxor Asset Management, where he created the debt fund management business. He spent nine years at Société Générale, of which Lyxor is a subsidiary. From 1985 until 2003 he worked at Indosuez Bank.

Aviva Investors - Peik Wardi has been named as head of Nordics for institutional client solutions. He joins from Aktia Asset Management, where he was head of institutional sales, working with pension schemes, insurance companies, corporates, universities and foundations. Before that he worked at Kaupthing Bank and State Street Global Advisors.

KAS BANK - Glenn Brown is now senior relationship manager at the securities services provider, where he will be responsible for building long-term relationships with KAS BANK’s UK pension fund clients. He was previously at Northern Trust for 18 years, where for the past two years he was working as client relationship manager for its institutional investor group.

BMO Global Asset Management - Rogier van Harten has been appointed to the newly created role of head of institutional distribution and client management for continental Europe, excluding Germany. He joined on 1 September, and is based in the Netherlands. He was previously at BNP Paribas Asset Management, where he was head of institutional clients for the Netherlands, and then for continental Europe, excluding France, Belgium and Italy.

Muzinich & Co - The corporate debt specialist has created the role of head of institutional business, to which it has appointed Simon Males, effective this winter. He will be joining from Legal & General Investment Management, where he was head of global fixed income distribution. Before that he was managing director, institutional client relations at Pramerica Fixed Income and before that spent five years as head of institutional business at Pictet Asset Management. 

Deutsche Asset Management – Niki van Delft has been hired as sales manager for passive investments, Benelux. Van Delft will report to Arjen Jonk, who was recently named head of passive investments for the Benelux region. He joined from Columbia Threadneedle Investments and has also worked at BlackRock.

HSBC Global Asset Management - Simon Davies has been hired as sales director for UK pensions. Davies joins from Standard Life, where he was corporate relationship director. Before that he held senior positions in corporate pensions at KPMG, and at Aon Hewitt, where he was head of defined contribution pensions.