Zurich Insurance Group
Peter Giger will join the firm on 1 October 2019 as group chief risk officer and become a member of Zurich’s executive committee.
He succeeds Alison Martin, who was recently appointed chief executive of Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea) and bank distribution.
Giger joins after four years as head of the insurance division and deputy chief executive of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (Finma).
He left Finma in September 2018.
Walker Crips
The wealth manager has named Nicolaj Bagge-Hansen and Christopher Darbyshire as chief executive and chief investment officer of Walker Crips Investment Management, respectively.
Hansen joined WCIM in 2007 as head of structured products and was appointed executive director to the WCIM board in 2010.
He replaces group chief executive Sean Lam, who has acted as interim chief executive of WCIM since 30 January 2019.
Darbyshire was previously chief investment officer at Seven Investment Management and, before that, he held senior positions at Societe Generale, Goldman Sachs and BNP Paribas.
Close Brothers
Chief executive Preben Prebensen has decided to leave the UK financial services group after 10 years at the helm.
The board will now commence a formal search for a successor, considering both internal and external candidates.
Prebensen will remain with the group for the next year to ensure a smooth handover.
Manulife Investment Management
The firm has named Angela Billick as chief operating officer and head of its newly created Ireland office.
Billick continues her role as head of European investment product for Manulife Investment Management.
She reports to Andrew Arnott, president and chief executive of Manulife subsidiary John Hancock Investments, and Leo Zerilli, global head of investment product at Manulife IM.
Capital Group
The asset manager has appointed Kim Pex as associate director of financial intermediaries, covering Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (Benelux).
Pex will be based in Luxembourg and will be responsible for expanding the business in Benelux, as well as forming strategic partnerships with financial intermediaries.
He joins Capital Group from Cardif Lux Vie, where he was international markets manager for the past four years.
EFG International
Bernardo Meyrelles do Souto has joined the firm as the country head of Portugal,
He will report directly to Lena Lascari, chief executive of EFG Bank (Luxembourg).
Pedro Rego, who successfully launched the bank’s business activities in Portugal, will remain a member of the senior management team reporting to Meyrelles.
Meyrelles joins EFG from Deutsche Bank, where he served as chief country officer for Portugal.
PGIM
The investment management arm of Prudential has hired Anna de Jong as client adviser for Benelux and the Nordics.
De Jong, based in Amsterdam, reports to Sarah McMullen, head of Emea client advisory group, PGIM fixed income.
Previously, de Jong was the head of Benelux sales and solutions for Lombard Odier.
The Financial Conduct Authority
The UK regulator has appointed Sheree Howard as executive director of risk and compliance oversight (R&CO).
Howard is currently interim director of R&CO having joined the FCA as a senior adviser in December 2017.
Prior to joining the FCA, Howard spent more than 25 years in financial services, both in the insurance and banking sectors.
She replaces Barbara Frohn, who left the FCA earlier this year.
