Thomson has been on the board since the company launched in 2018, and served as chair of the audit committee. This position will be taken on by Margaret Stephens, and the trust said the search for a new non-executive director is “at an advanced stage”.

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“The board would like to express its gratitude to Katya [Thomson] for her invaluable contributions to the company since its launch in October 2018. Her guidance as chair of the Audit Committee has been greatly appreciated.  We extend our best wishes to her for the future,” the board stated in a stock exchange announcement.

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AVI Japan Opportunity is currently trading at a 3.4% discount to NAV, and has a share price total return of 31.4% over the last year, compared to a sector average 9.1%, according to the AIC. Over the past three years, it has returned 41% while the sector has lost 8%.

He spent nine years at Allianz and has previously held sales roles at Canada Life Investments and Russell Investments.

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Artemis has also appointed Joe Wallace and Freddie Morrissey as sales support executives, who join from Janus Henderson and Muzinich, respectively. All three will be based in Artemis’s London office.

Couzens said: “[Artemis] has a very strong range of distinctive, actively managed funds in core areas for many clients.

“Concentration risk is a key concern of many investors, so we’re seeing a trend of mitigating that risk with active strategies that have proven themselves through various market cycles.”

He joins from Goldman Sachs Asset Management after 12 years, where he was most recently head of UK wealth distribution.

In the new role, Peters will focus on developing relationships with UK wealth managers and advisers.

Honor Solomon, CEO of EMEA at AllianceBernstein, said: “The UK continues to be one of the cornerstone markets in EMEA with a sophisticated client base with a growing interest across a wide range of products and solutions.

“In the current market environment, investors expect advice based on real investment expertise and broad-based knowledge. With Adam we have found an expert who has the right technical understanding as well as a consistent focus on distribution. I am delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Parkinson has been with Lombard International Group since April 2020 as group CEO, and previously spent near three decades with HSBC. He joined as an international manager in 1993 and worked his way to global chief investment officer by 2014, with roles across the globe including Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai, Mexico City, Taiwan and New York.

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In his role for Stonehage Fleming, which went into effect 20 January, Parkinson will be based out of London.

Giuseppe Ciucci, executive chairman of Stonehage Fleming, said: “Stuart is a highly experienced global financial services leader and we are proud to welcome him as CEO of Stonehage Fleming. His track record, including deep expertise in growing international businesses, building and managing diverse teams and bringing resources together across multiple geographies, clearly demonstrates that he possesses the skills and ideas to help our business continue to thrive.

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“We have worked hard to develop a highly differentiated position serving the needs of successful families and wealth creators; Stuart’s fresh ideas and perspective, alongside an excellent understanding of this client group, will complement the proven capabilities of our current team.”

Mike Hankin (pictured, right), who has served as sole CEO and president since 1998, will be joined as co-CEO by current global sales head Logie Fitzwilliams (pictured, left).

Fitzwilliams joined the firm in 2003 and also head the firm’s international business.

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The Baltimore-headquartered boutique said the move comes as a ‘natural next step’ as the firm continues to build out its client base internationally.

Brown Advisory serves private clients and institutions in over 50 countries from 18 offices globally and is responsible for approximately US$170bn in assets for private and institutional clients and charities, as of December 31, 2024.

As a result of the changes, Quintin Ings-Chambers will take over Fitzwilliams’ role as head of the international business. He joined Brown Advisory in 2012 as head of the firm’s international private client and charity business, having previously served as an investment director at SG Hambros.

Brown brings three decades of experience to the role, and has been with Aviva Investors since 2018. She spent 20 years of her career with Lane Clark & Peacock LL before working at Pictet. She is also a trustee director for Aviva Staff Trustee Pension Limited from 2021 until 2023.

Her new role will focus on strengthening relationships with Aviva’ Investors’ existing clients, as the company puts a focus on offering private market strategies for institutional investors through a series of LTAFs. A process to select a new head of UK institutional sales is underway, Aviva said.

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Steven Gardner, head of institutional for EMEA at Aviva Investors, said: “Client service and relationship management is vital in understanding how we can help institutional investors navigate market challenges and support them in reaching their long-term investment objectives. We view it as critically important component of Aviva Investors’ overall offering, and fundamental to our future success.

“I am therefore thrilled to have Heather lead our efforts in this regard with her deep understanding of the needs of institutional clients and their advisors making her the stand-out candidate for the role, as we continue to prioritise servicing for our existing clients whilst strengthening our Distribution capabilities and supporting our growth objectives.”

At P1, she will lead the development of the firm’s client servicing team.

With 20 years experience, Angell previously held management and leadership roles at Atomos Wealth, Seccl, Abrdn, Winterflood Business Services, and Barclays Wealth.

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James Priday, CEO of P1 Investment Services, said: “Assets, revenue and the number of advice firms we support grew by 100% over the past 12-months, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest service standards for our users.

“We know innovative technology is just one part of the equation when it comes to building a great product, with high service levels being the other.

“Michelle’s appointment reflects this commitment and our focus on investing in people who understand the unique needs of our adviser clients. Michelle’s insight and experience will ensure we remain not just a platform provider and investment manager, but a trusted partner to firms of all sizes.”

Waistell brings 15 years of portfolio management experience to the role. Most recently, she was with Polar Capital where she co-managed the quality-growth EM fund, which grew from €167m to €1.5bn during her tenure.

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“Carmignac has a great reputation in emerging market investing, having been an early pioneer of the asset class and I look forward to joining its industry-leading team. 2025 is set to be an exciting but volatile year, with the repercussions of monetary policy normalisation in emerging markets and a second mandate for Donald Trump.

“I am more convinced than ever that an active approach, with a clear consistent process that focuses on deep company analysis and cuts through noise, is the optimum way to identify emerging market investment opportunities and avoid potential pitfalls.”

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Li-Labbé leaves the firm to pursue a career “outside portfolio management”, according to Carmignac. She spent over 13 years with Carmignac, joining the company in 2011.

The Article 9 Carmignac EM strategy was managed by Li-Labbé alongside Xavier Hovasse, who will remain with the fund. In the past five years, it has returned 35.36%, compared to a sector average 12.78%.

According to a London Stock Exchange announcement published today (7 January 2025), Sainsbury (pictured) officially left the business yesterday. The company said he is “recuperating well” and is “expected to make a full recovery”.

Mike Morgan, group finance director at Close Brothers Group, has been appointed group CEO in Sainsbury’s place on a permanent basis, subject to regulatory approval.

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Morgan has worked at the business for 15 years. Prior to this, he spent nine years at the Royal Bank of Scotland – latterly as finance director of its wealth management division. He also spent nine years as finance director of Scottish Provident.

Mike Biggs, chair of Close Brothers Group, said: “The board would like to sincerely thank Adrian for his material contribution during his 11 years with the group, the last four of which were as chief executive. During this time he has overseen a period of significant growth and development for the group, successfully leading the organisation through a challenging period which includes Covid and heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

“On behalf of the board I would like to wish Adrian all the very best for the future.”

On the appointment of Morgan as group CEO, he added: “Mike has made a strong contribution as group finance director for the past five years and has been successfully performing the chief executive role on an interim basis over the last several months.

“He brings deep knowledge of the organisation and his appointment will ensure continuity in the leadership of the group and delivery of our strategy.”

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Outgoing CEO Sainsbury said it has been “a privilege” to lead Close Brothers as chief executive for the last four years.

“During my time at Close Brothers I have been deeply impressed by the enduring strength of our business model, and the dedication and expertise of our people. I would like to thank the team at Close Brothers for their commitment and support, and wish them every success for the years to come.”

Kilic joins Ninety One after 16 years with Standard Chartered Bank, where he began as managing director of corporate finance in 2008. Most recently, he was global head of project and export finance, which provided financial advice and solutions to infrastructure projects, as well as offering export credit agency-backed financing. Kilic brings a total 27 years experience to the role, starting his career at Citibank where he became a director.

See also: Steven Woolley steps away from Ninety One portfolio management

Mimi Ferrini, co-chief investment officer at Ninety One, said: “Emerging market private credit and infrastructure strategically invests at the intersection of return and impact, and this is where we as an organisation believe there is a tremendous opportunity. Moreover, our emerging market heritage gives us a rich and differentiated perspective on this diverse opportunity set.  Alper’s depth and breadth of experience, as well as his leadership, will be instrumental as we continue to build out our Emerging Market Alternative Credit platform, while delivering long-term value to our clients.”

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Ninety One launched its Emerging Market Transition Debt strategy in April of last year, focused on companies in emerging markets which have commitments towards net zero or low-carbon futures.

Having been deputy portfolio manager of the £398m trust since 2021, she will manage the trust alongside fellow portfolio manager Charles Jillings.

Broers first joined ICM, the trust’s investment manager, in 2010.

The trust invests across emerging markets in companies that offer essential services or monopolies such as utilities, transportation infrastructure and communications, or companies with a unique product or market position.

Utilico Emerging Markets currently trades at a 17.44% discount, according to the AIC. Over three years, it has returned 13.3%, while the average AIC Global Emerging Markets trust was down 4.3%.

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Tyler is currently head of UK wholesale at Lombard Odier Investment Managers, having previously held senior roles at Mirabaud Asset Management and Federated Hermes.

John Morrison will continue as interim head of UK until Tyler joins, when he will resume his role as deputy head of UK.

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Maximilian Guenzl, co-head of client group at Jupiter, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Selina to the firm in this important role. The UK is a mature market where we believe Jupiter’s exceptionally strong brand and client-led focus makes us one of the market leaders.

“As we look forward, we are beginning to see signs of client sentiment shifting more favourably in the UK, where we have deep client relationships and leading investment capabilities. Jupiter is likely to be a strong beneficiary if this improvement is sustained, having recruited outstanding investment talent this year.”