Money Advice Service
Charles Counsell is to be the new chief executive of the UK’s Money Advice Service (Mas). The appointment was made by the Financial Conduct Authority and has been approved by HM Treasury.
Counsell is currently executive director and board member at The Pensions Regulator (TPR) where he has played a key role in the successful introduction of automatic enrolment into workplace pensions. He succeeds Caroline Rookes who announced she would be stepping down in the autumn.
Schroders
After nearly 17 years with Schroders, managing director Nordics & Europe Ketil Petersen is leaving the firm. Describing his decision as “fairly non-dramatic”, Peterson explained on his LinkedIn account that he has decided to take a break, spend more time with his family and reflect on his life and career.
Petersen did not specify departure date, nor was there any indication of who will succeed him in his current role and as a member of the board of the Schroder International Selection Fund (Sicav).
Aviva Investors
Global asset manager Aviva Investors has appointed Alasdair Prescott as senior client solutions director. He will lead the client solutions team in London focused on key wholesale clients, reporting to Jeremy Leadsom, head of UK wholesale.
Prescott was previously at JP Morgan Asset Management, where he was a senior member of the UK wealth manager’s sales team and led the relationship with a large number of key London-based clients. Prior to this, he was at HSBC Global Asset Management as an investment director in its multi-manager division.
Smith & Williamson
Accountancy, investment management and tax firm Smith & Williamson has announced that Simon Jennings, Frances Jennings and Anita Millar-Neale are joining its private client tax division from Rawlinson & Hunter.
Simon Jennings specialises in tax planning and wealth structuring for international families. He is a trusts specialist, and advises on the planning and administration of settlements as well as the UK tax issues flowing from them. He advises on issues of tax residence, and on UK tax for foreign domiciliaries. He has considerable experience of handling HM Revenue & Customs enquiries, investigations, and appeals.
Frances Jennings specialises in providing tax and financial advice to private clients, their families and the vehicles they chose for their business and charitable interests. She has a particular interest in trusts, advising international families on the use of onshore and offshore trust structures for tax, family, philanthropic or commercial purposes. She is also an experienced trustee for both family and charitable trusts.
Anita Millar-Neale advises UK resident and non-resident individuals and family groups, non-domiciliaries, entrepreneurs, and non-UK resident trustees, with particular experience in advising sports professionals and artists. Anita deals with all aspects of UK tax compliance, including complex HMRC enquiries, advising on various aspects of tax planning, such as residence and domicile issues, establishing and running non-UK resident trusts.
First State Investments
First State has launched a new high yield team led by Matt Philo. Based in New York, the team of five investment professionals will manage dedicated sub-investment grade corporate bond portfolios.
The team will collaborate closely with First State’s existing fixed income teams across the US, Asia and Emea and share investment views and ideas through First State’s platform; the Investment Opinion Network.
Philo joined First State in May 2016, having previously been executive managing director/head of high yield at MacKay Shields. The also team includes Michael Elkins, formerly of Avenue Capital and Jason Epstein, previously managing director at Oak Hill Advisors, both of whom joined First State in September 2016.
Equiom
International professional services provider Equiom has appointed Matt Tabb global head of corporate communications, as part of the firm’s ongoing expansion into new jurisdictions and diversified service lines.
Tabb joins the team with over 19 years’ experience in the UK marketing communications industry having worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including P&G, MasterCard and IKEA. At Equiom, he will be responsible for overseeing all strategic marketing activities across the firm’s various business lines within the 11 jurisdictions that the business operates in.
