United Kingdom

London-based Newton, a subsidiary of BNY Mellon Asset Management, bolstered its private client team with the hire of Clare Huijnen as an investment manager. Huijnen joined from HSBC Private Bank, where she had been part of the investment counsellor team since 2010. Before that, she worked at Switzerland's Clariden Leu in the portfolio management unit for more than a decade.

Stuart Dyer, head of intermediary acquisitions at Close Asset Management, will retire at the start of April. During his spell at the UK-based firm, which is part of Close Brothers Group, Dyer led the company’s acquisitions of Scott Moncrieff Wealth Management, Cavanagh, Allenbridge Group and Chartwell.

Ashburton, the Jersey-based investment firm which is part of FirstRand Group, added macro analyst Derry Pickford to its asset allocation team. Pickford was latterly chief economist at London-based hedge fund manager Sloane Robinson - a post he held for eight years.

UK-based asset manager Cazenove Capital appointed James Gladstone - latterly of UBS Wealth Management - as director of financial planning. Gladstone, who reports to head of financial planning David Austin, was previously head of UK financial planning and an executive director at UBS.

UK-based Vestra Wealth added investment managers Jacqueline Crawley and Miles Berryman to its London office, recruiting both from BNP Paribas. Crawley was latterly a senior wealth manager at the French banking giant, managing some £300 million ($476 million) in client assets, while Berryman was an investment manager, working on both discretionary and advisory mandates.

UK-based Invesco Perpetual hired Simon Clinch as US equity fund manager within the firm's global equity team in Henley, reporting to head of US equities Simon Laing. The appointment will further develop the firm’s global and US equity franchises, chief investment officer Nick Mustoe said in a statement. Prior to joining Invesco, Clinch was an investment manager at J Rothschild Capital Management.

RBC Wealth Management bolstered its London-based private client team with the addition of three new directors: Paul Avant, Alex Charalambous and Alex Dean. Avant sits within the executive services team, acting as a relationship manager for corporate executives, reporting to Mark Hassett, managing director of RBC Executive Services. Most recently Avant was an associate director on the high net worth onshore team at HSBC Private Bank. Before his nine-year tenure at HSBC, Avant worked for Schroder & Co and Barclays Private Bank.

Brewin Dolphin, the UK-listed wealth manager, appointed David Nicol - formerly of Morgan Stanley - as a non-executive board director. Nicol currently sits on the board of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments and is a special advisor to KPMG, the international professional services firm.

Brooks Macdonald Asset Management named Gemma Godfrey as an investment director and head of investment strategy. Based in London, Godfrey joined the firm’s investment committee, which will see her take a place on the asset allocation committee. Under this part of her remit she will lead the development and communication of the firm’s economic research and she is also charged with building Brooks Macdonald’s social and print media profile. Godfrey joined Brooks Macdonald from private client wealth manager Credo Capital, where she chaired the investment committee. Before this she was a fund manager at Julius Baer and was responsible for Latin American investments at GAM. Godfrey is a well-known media figure; she is an official CNBC contributor and also regularly provides financial commentary for Sky News, the BBC and in the Daily Telegraph. She is, however, a quantum physicist by background.

London-headquartered wealth manager JM Finn & Co recruited four investment managers for its London office: David Stevens, David Roblin, Susannah Boanas and Howard Cockburn. The team joined from Brewin Dolphin and will focus on expanding JM Finn’s private client service.

Credit Suisse saw the departure of Steve Griffiths, managing director and head of UK planning. Griffiths came to Credit Suisse two years ago from Swiss rival UBS, where he held a similar position. The next step in his career remains unknown.

Cofunds, the UK IFA platform, appointed Laura Eden - latterly of Axa Elevate - as head of strategic partnership managers. Eden, who was previously interim head of business development at Axa, now reports to Cofunds' head of distribution Andy Coleman, and will be responsible for managing the partnership account management team.

Barclays Wealth appointed former UBS senior manager Julian Wantling as head of global foreign exchange, a critical role at a time when high net worth clients of such firms have exposures to a number of different currencies. At UBS, where Wantling had a 25-year career, he worked primarily in foreign exchange distribution for both the investment bank and the wealth management divisions. Since November 2010, he had also been global head of precious metals distribution.

GAM, the London-based investment manager, appointed Charles Hepworth and James McDaid to head up a new discretionary fund management offering for UK IFAs – joining a raft of firms developing such offerings in the run-up to the regulator’s Retail Distribution Review. Hepworth and McDaid, who have been hired as investment director and investment manager respectively, joined GAM’s London office in the second quarter of this year. Both came across from Quilter, where Hepworth has overseen the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney-owned firm’s managed portfolio service since 2001. McDaid was a senior associate within this team, responsible for the investment management of private client portfolios.

UBS appointed Steve Jenkins, a former employee of Barclays Wealth, as a senior client advisor in London. Jenkins, in addition to his employment at Barclays Wealth, has also held positions at ABN AMRO, Coutts and Merrill Lynch. He reports to Shona Baijal, desk head, based in London.

UK-based Veritas Asset Management bolstered its global analyst team with the addition of Ramesh Narayanaswamy to work across the firm’s global strategies. Narayanaswamy - latterly of Fidelity Investments - joined a team of five other analysts who focus on sectors within the global portfolio, including healthcare, resources, technology and telecommunications, financials and consumer goods.

Brewin Dolphin, the UK-based private client investment manager, named Tim Walker as the new head of its Exeter office. Walker replaced Richard Pike, who had headed the office since 2004 but is now to focus more on his role as a member of the firm’s charities team, for which he is responsible for the southwest region. Walker has been with Brewin Dolphin since 2004.

Jonathan Wiseman left his position as wealth head at Xcap Securities, the London and Manchester-based stockbroker. The firm launched an asset management division in January last year. It was originally headed by Nick Roe-Ely, who Wiseman replaced in June 2011.

Quilter, which at the moment is part of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, expanded its London investment management team with the hire of Oliver Stainer from Towry. Stainer was a specialist within the investment management team at Towry, having formerly been equities specialist and head of equity marketing for the UK at Edward Jones, the UK arm of which was bought by Towry in 2009.

City Financial, the London-based investment firm, bolstered its board with two new non-executive directors. Professor David Beatty is chairman of Inmet Mining Corporation and a director of the Bank of Montreal. He is also currently chairman of the City Financial Asian Absolute Growth Fund. Michael Stein, meanwhile, is known for having founded the MPI Group, an investment and property development firm, as well as CAP REIT, Canada's first residential apartment real estate investment trust, where he continues to be chairman.

RSM Tenon, the UK-listed accountancy and advisory firm, named Chris Merry as its new chief executive. Merry was at the helm of Matrix Group, the UK asset manager, between 2007 and 2011, having previously been finance director and later CEO of Whitehead Mann, an executive search firm. Earlier in his career, he worked for PwC, first as a partner in London and then as managing partner in Shanghai.

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management added Amy Howlett and Jim Barrett - latterly of Barclays Wealth and Goldman Sachs respectively - as financial advisors to its London office. In their new roles, Howlett and Barrett report to Adam Horowitz, who is head of UK, Ireland and Israel.

Grant Thornton UK appointed Martin Young - formerly of Coutts - as head of financial planning within its London office, where he oversees a team of seven investment advisors. As well as serving as head of financial planning, Young was also been charged with the task of “substantially increasing the team’s revenue by 2015,” the firm said in a statement. In his previous role as a managing partner at Coutts, Young managed and developed the Fleet Street office, which concentrated on the legal and accountancy sectors.

Baring Asset Management, the UK-based investment house, appointed Alison Huang as a charities investment manager in its multi-asset team. Huang joined from TT International Investment Management, where she had been an equity analyst, sitting within a team which managed some $14 billion of assets, largely in pan-European stocks. Before this she was a risk and performance management analyst, also at TT International. Her charities experience was gained at the Wellcome Trust, where she began her career.

Booz & Company, the global consultancy that has reported on sectors including the wealth management industry, elected Cesare Mainardi to be the firm's next chief executive. Mainardi will succeed Shumeet Banerji, who is nearing the end of his four-year term as CEO. Mainardi is currently the firm's chief operating officer and managing director of its North American business and will transition into his new role by mid May 2012.

Jupiter Asset Management, the UK investment house, promoted Gregory Herbert, a member of the European equities team, to manage the European portfolio of the Jupiter Global Managed Fund. Herbert, who joined Jupiter in 2005, worked with Cedric de Fonclare, manager of the Jupiter European Special Situations Fund, since 2007, focusing on analysis and valuation of companies and investment screening.

DWS Investments, the asset management firm which is part of Deutsche Bank, appointed Luiz Riberio as head of Latin American equities. Riberio latterly held the same position at sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Before this he managed one of the largest Brazilian equity funds in the world, as well as other Latin America-focused funds at HSBC.

Walker Crips, the UK-based financial services group, appointed Mark Rushton – latterly head of wealth management at BNP Paribas in the UK – as chief investment officer. In the newly-created role, Walker Crips hopes that Rushton can help the firm growing its private client business. He will report to the company's chief executive, Rodney FitzGerald.Besides BNP Paribas, Rushton has worked for Fortis, Cazenove Capital Management and UBS.

Rowan Dartington, the UK-based private client stockbroker and wealth manager, appointed Trevor Cheal as business development director, with additional duties within the firm’s Signature arm to support investment professionals and their clients. In his new role, Cheal will also act as leader of sales and marketing, while working to help “shape the business” overall, the firm said.

Barclays Wealth bolstered its private banking team in Glasgow with a trio of hires. The first two new joiners were private bankers Kenneth O’Donnell and Iain McMeechan, who have been appointed internally from Barclays Stockbrokers via the “Future Bankers Scheme”. Both now report to Calum Brewster, director, UK & Ireland private bank, Scotland. The third new private banker was Gair Brisbane, who came aboard via Barclays Wealth’s “Embark” programme, which is a recruitment scheme which fast-tracks candidates from other industries – even those unrelated to financial services. Gair previously served as a Royal Air Force Intelligence Officer for six years before working for the Royal Air Forces Association as director of Scotland and Northern Ireland for three years. His new role focuses on the development of Barclays Wealth’s proposition for Scottish charities.

Stenham Asset Management appointed Pablo Balan as head of risk management and quantitative research within its London office. Balan, who joined Stenham in the last quarter of 2011, is a member of the investment advisory committee and oversees all aspects of risk across the firm’s funds and portfolios. Previously, Balan spent eight years at Coutts as global head of portfolio risk and quantitative analysis.

DPZ Capital, the Jersey-based wealth management boutique, appointed Gary Hill as a senior investment manager to run multi-asset portfolios for private clients and fiduciaries. Hill was formerly investment director of Collins Stewart's Jersey office and a member of the firm’s fund selection committee.

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, the UK-based fund manager which is owned by Lloyds Banking Group, added investment manager Geoff Hepburn to its real estate team, as well as making six internal promotions. Hepburn joined from privately-held property company Hartwell, where he was development and investment manager, responsible for prime central London developments.

M&G Investments, the UK-based investment manager, appointed Alex Jeffrey as the chief executive of its real estate funds business, PRUPIM. Martin Moore, who has served as PRUPIM’s managing director for the last 15 years, became chairman of the business to facilitate a smooth handover and intends to retire after this year. Jeffrey was recruited from MGPA, the independent private equity real estate investment advisory firm, where he had worked for 13 years, latterly being based in Singapore as global chief investment officer.

Garbutt and Elliott, an accountancy and advisory firm based in northern England, named Simon Holt as managing director of its wealth management arm, G&E Wealth Management. Holt was latterly managing director of Skipton Financial Services, the advisory arm of Skipton Building Society.

Fund manager Patrick Harrington left UK-listed Jupiter Fund Management in order to pursue other opportunities. Harrington previously managed the Jupiter Undervalued Assets Fund, the Fund of Investment Trusts and the Jupiter Monthly Fund.

Ashcourt Rowan, the UK wealth management group, announced that Ranil Perera is to step down from its board of directors on 1 April, coinciding with the end of the financial year. Perera will have been a board member for two years when he steps down. In January, the firm appointed James McMeehan Roberts to its board as a non-executive director. Roberts previously worked at Skandia Group in a number of senior positions for over 25 years.

International

Luca Pedrotti, who has been head of Italy, Benelux, Monaco and Greece at UBS’s wealth arm, headed the firm’s newly-formed Greece, Israel and Africa (GIA) segment. Meanwhile, Patrick Mueller, current head of Israel and Africa, worked with Pedrotti to transition the Israel and Africa business throughout February. Mueller is examining a number of roles within UBS, both in and outside the wealth management GEM (global emerging markets) segment.

Offshore law firm Appleby added to its teams in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. It appointed Michael Mello QC to its private client and trusts practice in Bermuda.

Mello joined as counsel, having previously been a founding partner at Mello, Jones & Martin. Last October Appleby promoted Vanessa Schrum as Bermuda local practice group head for the private client and trusts practice group.

Investec Asset Management appointed Leslie Lipschitz - former International Monetary Fund director - as visiting strategist to work with its fixed income and multi-asset teams. Based in Cape Town, Lipschitz assists the two teams in formulating macroeconomic and thematic views.

Ogier named James Bergstrom as legal chief executive, taking over from group CEO Nick Kershaw. Kershaw handed over the legal CEO post to Bergstrom but retained his role as group CEO, after being elected for a second three-year term. In addition, Kershaw returned part-time to assume a client-facing role, the firm said in a statement. Bergstrom joined Ogier's Cayman office in 1991 and became a partner in 1998. He was managing partner of the Cayman office from 2002 to 2010 and head of Ogier’s global investment funds team from 2006 until the end of 2010.

Conyers Dill & Pearman appointed litigation lawyer Scott Pearman and the corporate lawyer Niel Jones in the firm’s Bermuda office. Pearman joined from Ely Place Chambers in London, where he was a barrister for 13 years specialising in commercial litigation.

Luxembourg-headquartered offshore services provider Alter Domus added two directors, Davinia Smith and Spencer Wells, to its Jersey office. Smith is a STEP-qualified trust and estate practitioner. She was previously director in charge of the corporate trustee services business at the Lloyds Banking Group offshore trust company prior to its sale.

Europe

The chief executive of Europe’s KBC group, Jan Vanhevel, was to retire at the annual meeting on 3 May, rounding out almost 41 years at the firm and 16 as a member of its executive committee. Vanhevel was succeeded by Johan Thijs, CEO of KBC’s Belgium business unit.

JP Morgan Private Bank appointed Peter Gabriele as head of investments for private clients in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Based in Geneva, Gabriele oversees the firm’s multi-asset class investment capabilities for the region, reporting to international head of investments and capital advisory James Walker. Gabriele brought over 25 years of experience to his new role, having already held leadership positions within JP Morgan’s private and investment banking divisions.

Cordea Savills, the global property fund manager, named Lorna Mackie as head of its Luxembourg office, reporting to chief operating officer Bill Hackney. Mackie assumed responsibility for fund corporate activities, with a focus on ensuring high standards of governance for Cordea’s Luxembourg-domiciled funds and business entities, in addition to continental European subsidiaries. Prior to joining Cordea, Mackie worked at Goodman Europe, where she was responsible for the corporate administration of real estate vehicles.

Credit Suisse appointed Allan Stewart as a senior relationship manager in Jersey; he formerly worked at Santander and HSBC. Stewart has had 10 years experience in the financial services industry in the UK and Jersey.

JP Morgan Private Bank bolstered its Paris team with the appointment of Thierry de la Gorce and Nathalie Laloum as senior private banker and senior investor respectively. Previously, de la Gorce was a private banker at Banque Pictet in Paris.

BNP Paribas appointed Kaye Fontaine – latterly of SG Hambros – as head of private banking in Jersey. She joined the French banking giant after a decade at SG Hambros, part of SocGen, where she was head of intermediary private banking.

HSBC Private Bank replaced its European and Swiss head with the appointment of former UBS chief executive Franco Morra as regional head of Europe and CEO of its Swiss branch. Morra succeeded Alexandre Zeller, who resigned from the bank in order to pursue other interests.

Generali PanEurope, the Ireland-based wealth manager and insurance provider, has entered the Swedish market with a set of insurance-based savings and investment products available to high net worth clients. To help with the move, the firm hired Mats Arousell as sales manager for Sweden. He joine from Direct Financial Services, part of Söderberg & Partners Group, the Swedish IFA and insurance group.

Mourant Ozannes, the Guernsey-based law firm, appointed seven lawyers as senior associates within the firm’s Guernsey, Jersey and London offices. Adam Bathgate, who joined Mourant’s Cayman Islands office from Clifford Chance in 2010, specialises in banking, finance, and investment funds, with a focus on establishing and maintaining Cayman Islands hedge and private equity funds. Henry Brandts-Giesen’s speciality covers all aspects of non-contentious private wealth structuring, with an emphasis on advising trustees, high net worth individuals and fund promoters. Michelle Tierney joined Mourant in 2008 from Arthur Cox in Dublin. Tierney advises clients on banking and finance matters, capital raisings and IPOs, in addition to joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and the foundation and restructure of investment funds.

Mourant Ozannes also appointed Daniel Birtwistle as managing partner of its Jersey office. Birtwistle succeeded Jonathan Rigby, who focused on his position as Mourant's global managing partner while maintaining his role as managing partner of the Jersey office. Since starting at Mourant in 1995, Birtwistle ran the firm’s London office between 2006 and 2007, and has been on its management committee since 2008.

London-based Robbie Grant, who joined from Linklaters in 2011, works with the firm’s City-based clients and international law firm intermediaries. He specialises in structured finance and debt capital market transactions. Sarah Huelin joined Mourant in 2005 and works within the firm’s finance and corporate practice in Jersey, with a focus on financial services and regulatory work.

The remaining two appointments were Tim Crooks and Carly Parrott. Since 2002, Crooks has concentrated on international trusts and private client work, having worked in Guernsey and the UK, where he was a solicitor at Burges Salmon. Parrott joined the firm’s Guernsey office in March 2009 after working as a solicitor with Minter Ellison in Sydney.

BankInvest, the Danish asset manager, promoted Kasper Elmgreen to head up its 17-strong equities team. Elmgreen, who joined the company in 2003, was deputy head of equities for a year and a half. He is also a member of the asset manager’s investment board.

Renaissance Asset Managers, the UK-listed frontier and emerging markets specialist, appointed a new chief executive and a president shortly after acquiring three European funds. Barbara Rupf Bee – latterly of HSBC Asset Management – became CEO of the asset manager which focuses on Eastern Europe, Russia and Africa. Rupf Bee had been with the UK firm for nearly 10 years.

Mercer appointed Toby Buscombe as a principal to provide infrastructure and private equity investment advisory services within its alternatives boutique. In his new role, Buscombe also represents Mercer in relation to potential reforms across the UK and European infrastructure financing market. Buscombe has over a decade of experience in infrastructure investment and asset management on behalf of pension fund clients.

Société Générale appointed Inès de Dinechin as chief executive of its subsidiary Lyxor Asset Management, replacing Laurent Seyer who left at the end of March to pursue other opportunities. Dinechin - previously head of human resources - joined Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking in 1991.

Lombard International Assurance, the Luxembourg-based wealth planning company, saw the departure of chief executive David Steinegger and chairman and founder John Stone. Matt Moran, the firm’s chief financial officer, took over as CEO, while Norbert Becker - currently a non-executive director - became the next chairman.

Channel Islands-based Fairbairn Private Bank appointed Jon Evans and Cameron Walker as head of business development and head of relationship management teams respectively. Walker joined Fairbairn in the Isle of Man eight years ago and assumed responsibility for the bank’s business development strategy. Walker has over 23 years of experience in the private banking sector, having worked in Hong Kong, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

Middle East

The head of the international and private banking division at Bank Leumi, Zvi Itskovitch, retired after 33 years at Israel’s largest financial institution. Itskovitch, also deputy chief executive officer of the group, set up and has headed the international and private banking division for the past 12 years.

Coutts made three appointments to its Middle East business; it looked to take on 20 more people this year. Of the future hires, 15 will be based in Dubai, the bank’s hub in the region. Arjun Mittal was named regional head of the firm’s non-resident Indian business, with responsibility for the Middle East and European markets. Mittal, who will be based in Dubai, joined from Bank Sarasin Alpen in Dubai, where he was managing director with responsibility for developing the NRI franchise in the region.

Coutts also made two senior hires to its team covering the Middle East in Geneva. Akram Khattab joined as an executive director in relationship management, while Ali-Reza Vahabzadeh was named as a vice president, also in relationship management. Khattab was latterly managing director at Bank Sarasin Alpen in Dubai.

Societe Generale Private Banking is shut its Bahrain office as part of ongoing efforts to rationalise its organisation. It was unknown if the move will lead to substantial job losses.

Switzerland

UBS appointed a new head of its European ultra high net worth business in the person of Eva Lindholm. Lindholm previously spent 26 years at JP Morgan, where she held several executive positions in wealth and asset management.

Vontobel appointed Christophe Bernard as chief strategist of the group and head of its newly-created balanced and multi-asset class boutique. Thomas Steinemann, the group’s present chief strategist, left the company after more than a decade to pursue other opportunities. Bernard joined from Union Bancaire Privée where he held a similar position.

Beirut-listed Bank Audi appointed Philippe Sednaoui as chief executive of its private banking subsidiary in Switzerland. Based in Geneva, Sednaoui heads up the restructuring effort of the group’s private banking and wealth management business unit. Previously, Sednaoui was CEO of Barclays Bank (Suisse), and has also worked for Bankers Trust Company, Credit Agricole and Citicorp.

Clariden Leu, the private bank soon to be integrated into Credit Suisse, saw the mass defection of an 18-strong Middle Eastern team from its Zurich office to Julius Baer’s office in Switzerland’s largest city. The team was said to have comprised 10 relationship managers and 8 support staff, under the leadership of Daniel Savary.

Praxis Fiduciaries (Switzerland) appointed Rupert Pleasant as an executive director for business development and marketing. He most recently was managing director of IFM Trust, based in Geneva, where he had held the post for four years.

Asia-Pacific

HSBC Private Bank chief executive Nancie Dupier resigned after 18 months on the job to return to HSBC Americas. She was replaced by Amit Gupta, then the head of global markets.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group outlined plans to cut 1,000 from its Melbourne office. It also made a number of top level appointments this month, including Paula Dwyer as a new member of its board. Dwyer, a well-known businesswoman on the boards of many firms, starts at ANZ on 1 April 2012.

Joyce Phillips started as chief executive of global wealth and private banking, from her previous role at the bank as group managing director of strategy, mergers and acquisitions, marketing and innovation. She will retain responsibility for marketing, innovation and digital.

Meanwhile, Shayne Elliott, currently CEO of institutional, will succeed ANZ veteran Peter Marriott as chief financial officer on 31 May, when Marriott retires. 

Shane Buggle will be appointed deputy CFO, reporting to Elliott. Buggle is currently CFO of institutional, having previously held a number of senior finance roles at ANZ, including group general manager finance.

Alex Thursby will take up Elliott's duties in an expanded role as CEO global institutional and Asia-Pacific, Europe and America, focused on ANZ’s largest multi-national clients globally.

Gilles Plante started as ANZ chief executive of Asia, based in Hong Kong. He was previously CEO of North East Asia, Europe and America, also based in Hong Kong.

Mark Robinson became CEO of Europe, America, Middle East and India, based in London. He was previously CEO of South and South East Asia, within the Asia-Pacific, Europe and America division based in Singapore.

Michael Rowland became CEO of the Pacific region, based in Melbourne. He previously held the same role in the APEA division. 

Former Hong Kong-based global head of capital markets Cathryn Carver was moved to managing director of institutional Australia, based in Perth, focussing on the Western Australian economy.

Sameer Sawhney became managing director of institutional for Asia-Pacific Europe & America, based in Singapore. He was previously managing director of corporate and institutional banking and private banking for Asia. 

Christina Tonkin was appointed managing director of global loans and transaction banking, based in Sydney. She was previously managing director of global loans. 

Vineet Vohra, general manager for wealth management, consumer and private banking for Asia-Pacific at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, stepped down after nearly three years with the company. 

Equiti Private Wealth, the Australian wealth management firm, hired two senior planners to accommodate its growing client base. Gregory Fuzi and Peter Sheather joined as senior financial advisors. Sheather previously managed his own financial planning business, while Fuzi previously worked at ipac, Schroder Investment Management, AXA and Staffordshire Financial Services.

S&P Capital IQ, the data provider subsidiary of Standard & Poor’s Rating Agency, will exit local funds research and local wealth management services in Australia to focus on institutional research. The effects will take place from 1 October 2012. Around 30 jobs will be affected.                                                   

The international arm of UK lender Lloyds TSB, shut its offshore Hong Kong representative office on 3 February 2012 after the group’s decision to “to “focus on geographies where it can invest and build scale from its existing position.”

HSBC reshuffled its senior ranks in Asia. Stuart Davis, chief executive of HSBC India, is set to move to Hong Kong in March after a three-year stint at the South Asian country and will be replaced by Stuart Milne, the current CEO for Japan.                                                                                                               

US asset manager BlackRock reassigned its iShares head of Asia to the newly-created role of head of strategy and business development for Asia-Pacific, according to media reports. Nick Good is now responsible for leading the firm’s process of evaluating investment and growth opportunities in the region.

JP Morgan hired a new country head for Indonesia. Haryanto Budiman is now managing director and senior country officer in Indonesia. He joined from Bank Mandiri, a state-owned Indonesian bank, where he was senior executive vice president and a member of the management board.

Vistra Fund Services hired a team to provide services to fund managers in Asia from its new Hong Kong office. The new team is led by Charles Kwun, who joined from Orangefield Trust where he was regional managing director. The team also includes executive directors Andrew Mascall-Robson and Shirley Yuen and director Fang Ling Khor. Mascall-Robson joined from HSBC James Capel Japan where he was general manager, head of equity derivatives. Yuen most recently headed up relationship management in the alternative fund services units at BNY Mellon. Fang Ling was most recently a director at Standard Chartered.

HSBC announced a large-scale expansion in China. Stuart Gulliver, chief executive of the UK-listed bank, told media that he hopes to either increase the bank’s 20 per cent holding in Chinese lender Bank of Communications, if given regulatory approval, or grow its mainland China branch network from 110 to about 800.

Citi Private Bank made two appointments for its global managed investments real estate business, after incumbent co-head Quek Kwang Meng resigned. Yvonne Siew started as GMI Asia real estate head after seven years with the US bank. She will continue to be based in Singapore and report to Daniel O'Donnell.

Aon Hewitt Wealth Management, the Australian financial planner network, Prue Petinsky as new head of product development. She was previously head of product management for the ASGARD platform at BT Financial Group. Aon Hewitt also made two internal promotions in its advice business, with Robert Olney promoted to head of practice solutions and Jeremy Lubrano promoted to head of alliances.

Nikko Asset Management hired Joyce Koh as head of marketing. Koh joined from Fidelity Singapore. There, she spearheaded the firm’s marketing efforts from 2006.

BNP Paribas appointed an equities head for Indonesia. Miles Remington takes the role of head of equities, Indonesia, based in Jakarta, a newly-created position. Remington has been with the firm since 2002.

Julius Baer’s new deputy chief of Asia and head of North Asia Kaven Leung, started his role in Hong Kong, two months ahead of schedule. He joined from Goldman Sachs where he was co-head of the Asia ex-Japan private banking business.

Sydney wealth advisor Perpetual Investments hired Anthony Aboud as analyst for the equities team. Aboud was previously a portfolio manager at Ellerston Capital's global equity management fund. He now works alongside former Ellerston colleague Paul Skamvougeras to focus on the firm's Share Plus Long Short Fund.

Alex Harvey joined Macquarie, Australia's largest investment bank, as Asia chief executive. Harvey has been with the company since 1999 and prior to the appointment served as executive director at Macquarie Capital and as global head of the telecommunications, media, entertainment and technology group. He reports to Nicholas Moore, chief executive of Macquarie Group.

Alex Lee was named chief marketing officer of BEA Union Investment Management, the portfolio management arm of Hong Kong's Bank of East Asia. Lee has 14 years of asset management experience in Hong Kong and most recently served as executive director at UBS Global Asset Management. He reports to Eleanor Wan, chief executive.

Colonial First State Global Asset Management added Gates Moss to its equities core team. Moss previously served as research analyst for AllianceBernstein. The CFSGAM equities core group is still led by Matthew Reynolds.

Julian Unsworth was named head of Dubai financial advisor Globaleye's new Shanghai office. Unsworth was previously a vice president at the firm's Dubai branch. Globaleye announced that it is shutting down its Brazil operations in favor of a branch in China. 

Geoff Lloyd took the reins as chief executive of Perpetual, the Australian financial advisor, replacing Chris Ryan, who resigned. Ryan's departure was attributed to internal differences with the board, for which he received a severance pay of A$1.2 million ($1.28 million) in lieu of 12 months notice. Lloyd was previously the head of private wealth at the firm.

Mauritius equity fund SONG Investment Company appointed Kartik Srivatsa as manager for its investment portfolio in India. Srivatsa was the head of Aspada Capital Advisors and replaced Vishal Vasishth, who has held the role since 2008.

Ravin Basnayake was named country officer for Citi's Sri Lanka operations. Basnayake took over from Glen Rase, who retired after eight years at the company. Basnayake joined Citi in 1988 and prior to the appointment served as head of corporate banking at the Sri Lanka business. He reports to Tab Cuddyre, cluster head of Bangladesh, Brunei and Sri Lanka. 

Evan Reedman was appointed head of consultant relationships for Credit Suisse's Asia-Pacific asset management business. Reedman was previously a director for life-cycle strategies at QIC, the Australian investment manager. He assumed a newly-created position meant to focus on the firm's regional capabilities, specifically with institutional investment consultants in Japan, non-Japan Asia and Australia.

Fiona Foxon was hired to the newly-created role of Hong Kong chief at global concierge Quintessentially. Foxon joined the company in 2010 from ICS Trust (Asia), where she was an account executive managing private clients. She reports to Emma Sherrard Matthews, the global chief executive, who was relocated to Hong Kong in 2011 to focus on the growing Asian market. 

MLC, the Australian wealth manager, sent a group of 54 advisors on a self-funded Strategic Leadership Programme at the Standford Graduate School of Business in the US. The five-day programme was meant to enhance its advisory ranks' leadership skills and retail quality financial planners.

Susan Chua, head of investments for Southeast Asia at Coutts, left after eight years in the role, following a wider reorganisation at the RBS-owned wealth manager. It is not known where she has gone.

Stephen Bird, the new chief executive of Citi's Asia-Pacific business, reshuffled top management ranks as part of a restructuring effort under a new "single CEO structure." Rodrigo Zorilla was named chief operating officer, Anthony Nappi became chief administrative officer, while Michael Zink was named Asean head. Zorilla was previously the markets head, Nappi used to serve as global transaction services head, while Zink was formerly the CEO for Singapore. All the Asean country heads now report to Zink, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Guam, and sub-regions Brunei, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

North America

Neuberger Berman, the New York asset management firm, appointed Diane Lederman as president and chief executive of Neuberger Berman Trust Company. Previously, Lederman was head of Neuberger’s wealth planning and general counsel. In her new role, she reports to Kenneth Rende, who has been head of Neuberger Berman’s wealth management business since 2009.

PrivateBancorp created a new business line serving individuals and families, under Personal Client Services, appointing Brant Ahrens as president. Ahrens, who had been with the bank since 2007, assumes responsibility for private wealth services, including trust, investment management and private banking, and will continue to lead the community banking group, including retail, small business and mortgage banking.

UBS Financial Services recruited a financial planning team from Wells Fargo, consisting of Dmitry Farbman, Leo Khorolinsky and Paul Stepankovskiy - collectively known as FKS Wealth Management Group. The trio have an aggregate 15 years of wealth management experience and are joined by their support team: Irina Khesin, Jocelyn Grove and Yannek Nikodimos.

New York-listed State Street Corporation appointed Dick Taggart as senior vice president and head of middle-office outsourcing operations across North America for its investment manager services business. Taggart has over 25 years of industry experience and reports to Jeff Conway, executive vice president and global head of the firm’s investment manager services business.

LPL Financial, the independent broker-dealer and subsidiary of LPL Investment Holdings, recruited Joan Khoury from Merrill Lynch as managing director and chief marketing officer. Khoury is based in San Diego, CA and reports to chief financial officer Robert Moor. As managing director and chief marketing officer, Khoury assumes responsibility for driving the company’s overall marketing strategy, in addition to enforcing programs to promote growth and innovation while extending the strategic reach of LPL Financial.

Janney Montgomery Scott, the Philadelphia-based financial services firm, hired Peter Sargent as executive vice president. Sargent has established Sargent Wealth Management at the firm's Newtown/Yardley, PA office. Previously, Sargent was associated with Merrill Lynch for nearly 20 years and joined Janney with $250 million in client assets.

New York-headquartered Fiduciary Trust Company International appointed Luke Fowler as vice chairman to the firm’s board of directors, and promoted J Chisholm Lyons as an executive vice president of business development and marketing. Additionally, Bill Barrett - president and chief executive of the firm's California business since 2001 - will become chairman at the end of March. The firm said Barrett will keep both roles until replacements are found. 

San Francisco-headquartered First Republic Bank extended the employment contract of company chairman and founding chief executive Jim Herbert, who will remain as chairman and CEO until 30 June 2016 and will continue as chairman until 31 December 2019. Additionally, the bank’s president and chief operating officer Katherine August-deWilde also entered into an extended agreement subsequent to her current contract on 31 December 2014, at which point she will become vice chair of the board.

Seth Waugh stepped down from his role as head of Deutsche Bank Americas, the Frankfurt/New York-listed firm announced last month. The bank will announce a successor “in due course,” and Waugh will remain in place during the selection and transition process, after which he will work with the firm in an advisory capacity.

LPL Financial, the independent broker-dealer and subsidiary of LPL Investment Holdings, named Mimi Bock as executive vice president of independent advisor services. Bock will be based in San Diego, CA and will report directly to Derek Bruton, managing director and IAS national sales manager.

Atlanta, GA-based SunTrust Bank is to transfer six of its wealth management advisors to Nashville, TN for “operating efficiency reasons”. The moves will not affect the firm’s operations as the advisors interact via telephone or email, spokesperson Hugh Suhr told a local news publication. In addition, the affected employees will be allowed to apply for “any other open positions within SunTrust” if they decide against moving to Nashville, Suhr said.

Registered investment advisory firm Concert Wealth Management is to recruit in the region of 40 financial advisors this year and is significantly expanding its presence, starting with two new locations in Los Angeles, CA opening within the next few weeks, On Wall Street reported. The firm also earmarked Boston, MA, New York, Washington DC, and Florida as potential wealth management growth areas, Felipe Luna, founder and chief executive, told the publication in an interview.

BNY Mellon bolstered its wealth management business with the addition of Kris Carney as a senior portfolio manager and Angela Domzal as sales director for Manhattan, NY. Carney, a 20-year financial services veteran, joined BNY Mellon from Dillon Trust Company.

RBC Wealth Management expanded its New York metro area team, bringing in a Morgan Stanley Smith Barney team and an individual from Oppenheimer and Company. From MSSB, the firm recruited the FG Group, including advisors George Feneis and Paul Granito, which has around $350 million in assets under management and close to $3 million in production.

Harris myCFO, the US-based family office advisory unit of BMO Financial Group, appointed Leslie Grant as vice president, responsible for delivering capital advisory and banking services to Chicago’s BMO Harris Bank clientele. In addition to providing traditional banking services, the capital advisory and custom banking group advises clients on liability management and the financing or monetization of assets such as real estate, aircraft, fine art and alternative investment assets.

The offshore law firm Appleby added Michael Mello QC to its private client and trusts practice in Bermuda, effective this month. Mello joined the practice as counsel, having previously been a founding partner at Mello, Jones & Martin, with expertise in the areas of trusts, wills and estates.

HighTower brought in new advisors on both coasts, managing a total of over $1 billion in client assets, and launching offices in Baltimore, MD and Los Angeles, CA. In Baltimore, Leo Kelly and Brian Grumbach, formerly of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, join the firm as managing directors and partners. The team currently manages $700 million in client assets and is charged with leading HighTower’s expansion in this new market.

Boston-based Risk Paradigm Group, one of nine firms that comprise the Dynasty Financial network of independent investment advisors, appointed Sam Kiefer as a director and senior investment management consultant. Kiefer is an accredited investment fiduciary and has 15 years of financial industry experience. He previously worked at UBS Securities for six years in Boston, where he served non-profit organizations, philanthropic high net worth clients, health care professionals and career professionals in the sports industry.

City National Bank expanded its private banking team in Pasadena, CA with the appointment of Angel Chen as a senior vice president of private client services and leader of the firm’s new satellite office. Chen is joined by senior private client advisor Michael Scott – who joined the bank last year – and will report to Scott Witter, manager for private client services in Los Angeles, CA. 

Boston, MD-based Eastern Bank appointed William Walsh as senior vice president to lead the bank’s wealth management division. Walsh is a certified financial planner with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He joined Eastern Bank from Wellesley-based Weston Financial Group, where he was a director and planning officer.

Brinton Eaton, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm based in Madison, NJ, appointed Rohith Eggidi as an investment analyst. Eggidi, who was previously an investment consultant at Brinton, will work on quantitative analysis and risk-modeling projects for the firm’s investment management clients.

CliftonLarsonAllen, the certified public accounting firm that specializes in privately-held businesses and their owners, hired Kimberly Peterson as a senior manager in the tax department. Peterson joined the firm’s Stevens Point, WI office, and focuses on delivering tax services to corporations, partnerships and high net worth individuals. She specializes in businesses in the manufacturing, distribution, construction and retail industries.

Springer Financial Advisors, a Sacramento, CA-based registered investment advisor, brought in Ed Guanill as a financial representative. Guanill runs his own financial planning practice, having founded JR Asset Management in 2005.

Canada-based McLean & Partners Wealth Management appointed Jamie Robertson as chief investment officer, a role in which he leads the firm's five-member research team. Robertson brings to the firm over 30 years of experience as an investment manager, with a background in equity investing and fixed income trading within cash and derivative markets. As CIO, Robertson provides research in global dividend growth equities, preferred shares, and fixed income investments.

Atlantic Trust, the private wealth management division of New York-listed Invesco, appointed J Timothy Delaney as a senior vice president and senior relationship manager for its Boston office. Delaney brings more than 15 years of industry experience to Atlantic, joining from Pillar Financial Advisers, where he served as an investment manager for the firm’s high net worth clientele. He was also a relationship manager for key accounts, as well as having been head of the investment committee.

Ledyard Financial Advisors, the wealth management division of Ledyard National Bank, added Fred Wainwright to its Hanover, NH office as senior vice president and senior investment strategist. Wainwright was previously the executive director of an investment and entrepreneurship research center and has a 20-year background in investment decision-making and strategic planning, having held business development positions across Silicon Valley and New England.

Citi Private Bank appointed Jane Bachmann as a director and ultra high net worth private banker for its North American Asian clients group. San Francisco-based Bachmann joined from The Presidio Group, where she was managing director and partner, specializing in providing wealth management strategies to both US and Asian high net worth individuals, family offices and non-profit organizations. Bachmann reports to Ida Liu, who heads the Asian clients group.

Alternative investment manager Ramius, part of Cowen Group, hired Ken Griebell as a director of marketing and distribution in New York. This was a newly-created role at the firm, with which it is planning to widen access to its liquid alternative products to investors, including financial advisors and their clients. Griebell reports to David Thill, managing director and head of worldwide third-party distribution and intermediary relationships.

Gresham Partners appointed Joe Simpson and David Colton as principals of the firm. Simpson joined the Chicago-based wealth manager as a senior investment analyst in 2005, before which he was a vice president at Merrill Lynch’s Private Banking and Investment Group.

New York-headquartered Tiedemann Wealth Management added Daniel Sternberg to its board of managers. Sternberg was a partner in the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton for 23 years, before retiring from this role at the end of last year. He remains senior counsel to the firm.

Houston, TX-based PartnersInWealth added Jason Kaminsky as a wealth director, a role in which he focuses on establishing relationships with high net worth clients. Kaminsky has over ten years of business development experience, five of which he spent within the financial services sector. Before joining PartnersInWealth, Kaminsky was vice president of business development at a Texas-based financial asset management company.

EP Wealth Advisors, a fee-based financial planning and investment management firm, appointed Bennett Gross as an investment strategist. Bennett joined EP Wealth from Pacific Wealth Advisors, where he was director of wealth management. He has 25 years of experience working with high net worth individuals within the Los Angeles area, starting his career at Morgan Stanley.

California-based First Republic Bank hired Fazal Kaka as a managing director and relationship manager, based in Walnut Creek, CA. Kaka, with 30 years of financial services experience, works with individuals, families, businesses and foundations to “address both sides of a client’s balance sheet.” Kaka will serve as a single point of contact to a team providing banking, investment management, trust, brokerage and real estate lending services to clients. Prior to joining First Republic, he was at Wells Fargo private mortgage banking in Walnut Creek for 13 years.

Northern Trust made a number of hires at its wealth management business, bringing in a senior wealth strategist, two wealth strategists and a wealth advisory managing director. Additionally, the firm bolstered its alternatives group.

Citi Private Bank brought in an ultra high net worth private banker with a background in the multi-family office industry in Connecticut. Eugene Miller joined the bank’s Greenwich, CT office as a director and ultra high net worth private banker. He latterly worked at Galaxy Family Resources, also based in Connecticut, where he worked with wealthy families and family offices.

Beverly Hills Wealth Management, the California-based registered investment advisory firm, bolstered its compliance and investment teams with two hires. Bart Albrigo joined the firm as a senior vice president and financial advisor, responsible for portfolio construction and investment management for Beverly Hills Wealth’s high net worth client base.

Bill Van Law took over as president of the Raymond James Investment Advisors division, the firm's registered investment advisor private client business. He reports to Chet Helck, chief executive of the Florida-headquartered company's global private client group, continuing to work closely with current IAD managing director Mike DiGirolamo.

New York-listed Westwood Holdings Group appointed Mark Freeman as chief investment officer - a role which he had previously shared with the firm’s founder Susan Byrne since January 2011. Freeman led Westwood’s income opportunity team since its inception in 2003 and had been a key member of its large cap value team for over 10 years alongside Jay Singhania, Todd Williams, Lisa Dong, Scott Lawson and David Spika.

St Louis, MO-based BAM Advisor Services hired Carl Richards, founder of Park City, UT-based Prasada Capital Management, folding in Richards’ firm in an undisclosed deal. Richards joined the firm as director of investor education.

Booz & Company, the global consultancy that has reported on sectors including the wealth management industry, elected Cesare Mainardi to be the firm's next chief executive. Mainardi succeeds Shumeet Banerji, who is nearing the end of his four-year term as CEO. Mainardi is currently the firm's chief operating officer and managing director of its North American business and will transition into his new role by mid-May 2012.

Annex Wealth Management appointed Randy Winkler as a financial advisor to support its growing client base. As a financial advisor for the firm, Winkler brings more than 10 years of financial planning experience. Annex Wealth Management is an independent financial service organization headquartered in Brookfield, WI.

San Antonio, TX-based wealth management firm Covenant Multifamily Offices appointed Josh Day as its family governance strategist. In his new role, Day is responsible for coordinating governance for client families through the provision of heir preparedness, financial literacy education, family meeting facilitation, and mission statement development. He reports to founder and chief investment officer Kevin Harris.

Calgary, CA-based McLean & Partners Wealth Management expanded its leadership by promoting vice president Kevin Dehod to president, a role in which he will execute a number of the firm's planned initiatives. As president, Dehod will assume responsibility for overseeing routine operations of the company, in addition to retaining his role as a portfolio manager.

Shareholders were asked to elect a former top executive of HSBC's Americas business as the chairman of The Bank of NT Butterfield & Son. The Bermuda-headquartered bank nominated Brendan McDonagh, former chief executive of HSBC North America and group managing director of HSBC Holdings, as its executive chairman. The election is due to be held on 1 May this year.

Wells Fargo appointed Lisa Featherngill as managing director of planning for Abbot Downing, the firm’s new dedicated business for high net worth clients with $50 million or more in assets, due to launch in April.

Barclays Wealth recruited three private wealth advisors from Goldman Sachs as directors within its Chicago office, reinforcing the firm’s plan to expand its presence in the area. Stuart Buck, William Scherr and David Yaccino bring to Barclays Wealth an aggregate 65 years of experience in portfolio management. The trio focuses on single-stock risk management as well as the management of fixed income and equity portfolios.

Chicago-based wealth manager Gresham Partners appointed Matt Bonaguidi as chief wealth strategist, acting as the firm’s in-house expert for estate planning, wealth transfer and philanthropic planning. In his new role, Bonaguidi works with Gresham’s client service team to develop initiatives that will enhance the firm’s wealth planning offering.

Conyers Dill & Pearman appointed litigation lawyer Scott Pearman and the corporate lawyer Niel Jones to the firm’s Bermuda office. Pearman joined from Ely Place Chambers in London, where he was a barrister for 13 years specializing in commercial litigation.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based Fifth Third Bank promoted Jeff Korzenik to the role of chief investment strategist, replacing John Augustine who has was appointed as chief market strategist. As chief investment strategist, Korzenik, who was currently director of regional portfolio management, manages the overarching strategy of Fifth Third’s investment management group.

Boston, MA-based Lake Street Advisors expanded its team with two hires, adding Judith Schreiber Rowland and Emmett Maguire to its relationship and investment teams respectively. Schreiber Rowland was latterly a senior director and vice president at BNY Mellon, and has 17 years of wealth management experience. She joined Lake Street as a relationship manager to work with high net worth clients.

UBS Wealth Management Americas added two teams and two individual advisors to its Birmingham, Dallas, New York and Raleigh offices - the firm’s third raft of hires so far this year. The Eubanks Lappin group, led by Steve Eubanks and Michael Lappin, joined UBS’s Raleigh, NC branch . Eubanks and Lappin bring to the firm a production of approximately $4 million and assets under management of $750 million.

A former Merrill Lynch & Co team branched out as an independent registered investment advisor, Beirne Wealth Consulting, based in Milford, CT. The new firm was founded by partners John Beirne, John-Oliver Beirne and Jim Betzig, accompanied by their team, including Eric Passeri.

Rothstein Kass, the professional services firm, appointed Nancy Schultz as a director at its Family Office Group, responsible for spearheading the Western Region operations. Schultz, who is based at the firm’s Beverly Hills, CA office, was latterly chief operating officer at Simms, where she managed family office operations and real estate business functions. Prior to that she was chief financial officer of Saban Capital Group and CFO of The Jim Henson Company.

Washington Wealth Management appointed Paul Dietrich, chief executive and chief investment officer at Foxhall Capital Management, as director of global research. In addition to his new post as director of global research at Washington Wealth, Dietrich retains his role as Foxhall's CIO. Dietrich founded Foxhall in 1986, as well as having established Meridian Emerging Markets.

BMO Harris Bank, part of BMO Financial Group, expanded its wealth management division with the addition of Mark Fenlon as president for its Kansas City, MO office. In his new role, Fenlon will launch the wealth management offerings at the bank within the Kansas City, St Louis and Indianapolis markets. Previously, Fenlon managed the wealth management arm of Marshall & Ilsley bank in Arizona.

California-based Montecito Bank & Trust appointed David MacCulloch as vice president, senior trust officer. MacCulloch, who specializes in trust and estate administration, estate planning, and corporate and real estate law, forms part of efforts at Montecito to expand client relationships in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. He reports to Jeff Pittman, director of wealth management.

Melvin Miller, executive vice president and chief investment officer at Iowa-based Heartland Financial USA, is due to retire on 1 August. Miller initially joined Heartland and its Dubuque Bank and Trust subsidiary in 1984 as an investment officer. Until 2008, he supervised the investment management branch of the bank’s wealth management group, and also previously headed the investment department.

UBS appointed two women for nomination to election to its board of directors, replacing two other members, in the latest management overhaul announced by the embattled Swiss bank. Beatrice Weder di Mauro and Isabelle Romy are to be nominated for election to the board of the Zurich-based lender at the annual general meeting on 3 May 2012. They replace Bruno Gehrig and Kaspar Villiger, who will not stand for reelection.

Mark Haranzo, a trusts and estates attorney at private client law firm Withers Bergman, joined the firm’s New York office as a partner. Most recently, Haranzo was a partner with law firm Wiggin and Dana. He has a 20-year background in the trusts and estates field, having represented high net worth clients internationally.

Indiana-based Hefty Wealth Partners, the wealth management firm, expanded its investment committee with the addition of David Abuaf as chief investment officer. Abuaf, who has a background in market, economic and financial analysis, will direct the firm’s advice and protect investment strategy. Previously, Abuaf was an equity research analyst for Principled Capital Management and served on the manager research and portfolio management team at Corbin Capital and Morgan Stanley.

Curian Capital, an indirect subsidiary of New York-listed Prudential, appointed Keith Johnson as vice president of practice management, responsible for supporting financial advisors in growing their business. Johnson is charged with developing educational content, sales and marketing presentations, and other tools for advisors to improve profitability. He will also work on building relationships with Curian’s broker-dealer partners.

BNY Mellon brought in a sales director to ramp up its presence among high net worth clients in Latin America. For the role, the firm hired Yolanda Plaza-Charres from BlackRock. Plaza-Charres was latterly director for the asset manager’s private banking channel for the Americas region, and has also worked on product distribution strategies for Merrill Lynch in Latin America.

Roosevelt Investments, the New York-based asset manager, completed the transaction to take on an international equity team from Mesirow Financial on a cooperative basis. Equity strategists Leila Heckman, John Mullin and Vijay Chopra lead the seven-member team, which manages four international and global equity strategies based on quantitative research processes. Heckman, who will head the firm’s international equity team, said in a statement that the trio will continue to manage their four equity strategies in the same way as prior to the merger.

JHS Capital Advisors, the Tampla, FL-based asset management firm, hired Jeffery Iseler and Tom Prendergast as financial advisors. Iseler joined from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, where he had worked since 1999, and holds a variety of securities and insurance licenses. Prendergast joined from Oppenheimer & Co and specializes in providing retired and pre-retired individuals and small-business owners with tax-advantaged investment strategies.