PEOPLE MOVES: Abrdn, Aviva, DFSA

29th July 2022

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Robbie Lawther

Abrdn

Caroline Connellan is to leave Abrdn at the end of August for personal reasons, the company announced on 28 July. No further details were provided.

She joined the firm in October 2021 as chief executive of personal wealth from Brooks Macdonald, where she had been chief executive for nearly five years.

Connellan’s departure will see Interactive Investor chief executive Richard Wilson take on an expanded role as chief executive of Abrdn’s personal vector. Abrdn acquired the investment platform earlier in 2021.

Wilson will assume overall leadership of the personal vector, with Abrdn moving its financial planning, discretionary and digital solutions divisions under his leadership following Connellan’s departure.

Aviva

The insurance giant has hired Michele Golunska as managing director of wealth and advice.

She will have responsibility for Aviva’s intermediary platform business, the workplace business, heritage customer solutions and Aviva’s advice operations comprising Succession Wealth, Aviva Financial Advisers and Sesame Bankhall Group.

Golunska replaces Rob Barker as managing director of wealth as he is leaving Aviva to pursue other opportunities.

Following Golunska’s appointment, Ross Liston, Sesame Bankhall Group managing director of distribution, will take over as interim chief executive of Sesame Bankhall Group.

Aviva is also appointing a managing director of direct wealth, to build on its existing direct operations which comprise its direct-to-customer platform business and Wealthify.

Sarah Layden, interim direct wealth director, will lead the team on an interim basis.

Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)

Current chief executive F Christopher Calabia is resigning from his role, effective 31 August 2022.

He joined the DFSA in October 2021 and is stepping down to return to the US for family-related reasons.

Ian Johnston, who served as the DFSA’s chief executive from 2012 to 2018, will reprise his role from 1 September 2022.

Over the past four years, Johnston has been consulting to regulators and policy makers in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and has undertaken projects funded by the World Bank and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development.

He has also served on the DFSA’s legislative committee since January 2022.

Trive

The multi-asset investment platform has appointed Travis Robson as its managing director based in Johannesburg to lead expansion of them company into Africa.

Robson joins Trive from IG Group, where he was Middle East chief executive and director in charge of developing its business across the region, particularly in countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

M&G

Chief investment officer Jack Daniels will retire from the business next June.

Daniels has spent the bulk of his 35-year career at the fund manager, having joined in 2001.

Fulcrum Asset Management

Tamsin Webster has been named chief people officer of the asset manager.

She was previously at BlackRock, UBS, and AHL Man, Lloyds Banking Group and BT.

Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)

Chief executive Joseph Gavin will resume his role with effect from 28 July 2022.

Chief officer enforcement Michelle Mizzi Buontempo became acting chief executive in Gavin’s absence last month.

Axa Investment Managers

Gideon Smith, previously co-chief investment officer of Axa IM Equity QI, has been named as global head of Axa IM Equity QI.

He takes over the role from Paul Flavier, who will be joining the Axa Group.

IQ-EQ

The financial services firm has promoted James Morellec to director for pensions and Matt Brehaut to director for funds. Both roles are in Guernsey.

Morellec was a senior manager in Guernsey responsible for running the team servicing its pension clients. Brehaut was an associate director responsible for the day-to-day client delivery of the legacy Moore Management business in Guernsey.