** Swedish manager poaches FIS US head **
Stockholm-based asset manager Länsförsäkringar Kapitalförvaltning is beefing up its US operations by recruiting J Robert Bloom as head of its New York office. Länsförsäkringar has poached him from London-based Friends Ivory & Sime (FIS). Bloom has been in FIS’s New York office for 15 years, following positions at Manufacturers Hanover Investment, Wertheim Management Services and Metropolitan Insurance Companies.

** Marlowe solves secondary purchases at Access **
Christopher Marlowe joins Paris-based private equity fund of funds manager Access Capital Partners as investment director. He will be in charge of the firm’s further development of its secondary purchases capability. Marlowe moves from Paris-based Arcis Finance where he worked in identifying secondary opportunities in Northern Europe.

** New SEB portfolio and analysis chief **
Martin Guri has been appointed as head of Swedish Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken’s (SEB) portfolio and analysis team within its strategy and analysis department. He is currently head of analysis at Stockholm-based investment Matteus Bank.
Meanwhile, Matteus Bank has appointed Kerstin Unger as its administrative director as of July 1, as Hans Lartén is leaving the bank

** STOXX picks Bootz **
Roger Bootz has been promoted to regional director index provider STOXX. He will be responsible for marketing and licensing the Dow Jones owned indexes to financial institutions in Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Eastern Europe. Bootz will continue to be based in Zurich and report to Scott Stark, managing director of the company.

** Weiland lands at First Quadrant **
Alex Weiland is joining the London-based quantitative asset manager First Quadrant as director of European sales and marketing. He moves from Schroder Investment Management where he was director of client services for Asia. Previously, Weiland was responsible for the defined contribution business as head of UK group pensions at Fidelity.

** FIS boosts European investment teams **
Friends Ivory & Sime has made five appointments to its UK mid and small companies and pan-European large cap equities investment teams.
Miles Bennet and Martin Smith have been appointed directors of pan-European equities at the firm. Ian Wheatley joins as an analyst of pan-European equities, focusing mainly on the telecommunications sector.
Hilary Aldridge has been appointed as fund manager to the firm’s UK mid and smaller companies team and John Wong joins the team as an analyst.


** Gartmore recruits Gleason from Putnam **
Michael Gleason has been appointed as a senior quantitative analyst at London-based Gartmore Investment Management. Gleason, joining from Boston-based Putnam Investments, reports to Richard Urwin, head of strategic research.

** Standard Life strengthens global strategy team**
Frances Hudson is joining the global strategy team at Standard Life Investments from steel company Ispat International, where she worked as an investment manager. Hudson will act as sector strategist, advising the group’s asset allocation.

** Mitchell joins fixed interest team at Aegon **
Melanie Mitchell has been appointed as fund manager to the fixed interest team at Aegon Asset Management. She is joining from Abbey National and will report Malcolm Jones, head of fixed interest at the company. Mitchell was previously a vice president of credit strategy at Chase Manhattan.

** West and Bartlett join Aon **
Aon Consulting has recruited David West to its international benefits practice as a senior consultant and Alan Bartlett as head of manager research in its investment practice.
Barlett joins the company from Hymans Robertson where he was head of manager research.

** State Street expands number of board members to 19 **
Gregory Summe has been appointed to the board of directors at State Street. He is chief executive officer and chairman of PerkinElmer. Previously, Summe has worked for AlliedSignal as president of general aviation avionics, aerospace engines and automotive products.

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