Evelyn Partners CEO and CFO to step down

Evelyn Partners Group has announced its CEO and CFO will leave the firm when it is acquired by NatWest this Summer.

The deal, which was announced in February and is subject to regulatory approval, will see CEO Paul Geddes and CFO Alex Gersh step down from their respective roles.

Chief investment management officer Chris Kenny has been appointed as the next CEO of Evelyn Parnters, reporting to Emma Crystal, CEO of NatWest’s Private Banking & Wealth Management division, while deputy CFO of Evelyn Partners Din Mustaffa will be promoted to CFO, reporting to Kenny.

Geddes said: “I would like to congratulate both Chris and Din on their prospective new roles. Chris’s extensive industry experience, long tenure at the firm and his client-focus make him the right leader for the business as it enters the next phase of integration and growth.

“It has been an absolute privilege to lead Evelyn Partners over the past three years, and I know I am leaving the business in excellent hands where it will be well positioned to seize the significant opportunities ahead.”

Kenny added: “I am incredibly proud to be taking on the role of CEO of Evelyn Partners at such an important moment for the firm. Having spent nearly 29 years here – both at Evelyn Partners and previously at Smith & Williamson – this is a business I care deeply about, along with the clients we serve and the people who make it what it is. 

“Becoming part of NatWest gives us the opportunity to build something truly distinctive in the UK market, bringing together Evelyn Partners’ strengths in investment management and financial planning with NatWest’s scale, heritage, and private banking capabilities.”

Chris Grigg, chair of Evelyn Partners, thanked the pair for their “outstanding service to the business”.

“Since taking on the CEO role three years ago, Paul has been a true leader within the wealth management sector and led Evelyn Partners through a period of major transformation,” he said.

“He has refocused the business wholly on wealth management with the successful sales of its Professional Services, Fund Solutions and Employee Benefits Consultancy businesses, and has positioned it for the next stage of growth and development as part of the NatWest Group. I wish Paul and Alex every success for the future and congratulate Chris and Din on their new roles.”