Marlborough names CIO for group assets including Irish UCITS and Guernsey fund ranges

Marlborough has appointed Sheldon MacDonald as chief investment officer. He takes over the role from Nicholas Cooling, who will retire from Marlborough at the end of May after more than 30 years with the company.

MacDonald joined Marlborough in October 2021 as chief investment officer of Multi-Asset and has almost 30 years' investment management experience. His career has included senior investment roles at Liontrust and prior to that Architas, where he spent 10 years, latterly as Deputy Chief Investment Officer. 

As Marlborough's CIO, he will have overall responsibility for all investment activity for the 19 funds in the IFSL Marlborough range, which is made up of 15 single-strategy funds - covering key asset classes including UK equities, global equities and fixed interest - and four multi-asset funds. He also joins the Marlborough board. 

In addition, as Marlborough's CIO he will have overall investment responsibility for the Marlborough Group's Irish-domiciled UCITS multi-asset funds and the Guernsey-domiciled Marlborough International fund range.
MacDonald's appointment has been approved by the FCA and he reports to Marlborough's CEO, Richard Goodall. 

Richard Goodall, Marlborough's CEO, said: "Sheldon is a consummate investment professional, who combines a wealth of experience with the all-important ‘can do' attitude that embodies our approach at Marlborough.

"I'm certain he'll prove a highly effective CIO at an exciting time in Marlborough's continuing growth story. We see a huge opportunity to work in partnership with adviser businesses who share our entrepreneurial vision, offering our expertise and experience to help them grow by achieving first-class outcomes for their clients."

Sheldon MacDonald said: "I'm very excited to be taking on this new challenge. This is a fascinating time in the markets and the current volatility is creating very interesting opportunities. While this will be an unsettling period for many of our investment clients, we're absolutely committed to ensuring that we continue to achieve first-class outcomes on their behalf.

"One of the great strengths of Marlborough is our partnership approach and I will be working hard to ensure that across the board, from our investment managers to our oversight and governance teams, we're all working together effectively and in concert with advisers to deliver the best possible results for their clients.

"I'm also committed to strong engagement, ensuring we fully understand the objectives and concerns of clients, so we can provide suitable investment solutions, and that we communicate clearly and regularly to help advisers and clients make sense of the investment landscape."

Cooling has been heavily involved in the succession planning to ensure a seamless transition. He will continue to work closely with MacDonald sharing his experience and expertise, until his retirement from Marlborough in May.
Cooling's career at Marlborough began in 1991, when he joined as a fund manager. He reorganised the company's investment processes, leading to a significant expansion of the business, and was appointed CIO in 2019.
Richard Goodall added: "I'd like to thank Nicholas for his important contribution to the success of Marlborough over more than 30 years, his expertise and experience will be sorely missed. However, I'm confident that with Sheldon as CIO, and with the quality and commitment of the wider Marlborough team, we're strongly positioned for continuing growth, as we turn our ambitious plans into reality."