Eastspring Investments

Eastspring Investments has appointed Mike Woolley as head of UK wholesale distribution.

He joined Eastspring in December 2022, reporting to Matthew Appelstein, CEO of Americas and head of international distribution. 

Based in London, he will be responsible for growing Eastspring's presence in the UK wholesale market, with a focus on providing access to Eastspring's range of Asian equities, fixed income and multi-asset solutions to UK-based global financial institutions, private banks and wealth managers.

He brings 25 years' asset management experience within the UK asset management industry, during which he has led business development teams that supported the long-term growth of asset management businesses. He previously held the roles of Head of UK Wholesale at Gresham House and BNP Paribas Asset Management, and has also served as Head of UK Sales at EFG Asset Management.

Matthew Appelstein said:"Asia and Emerging Markets are expected to remain the fastest growing regions in the world, with a combination of new and existing dynamics providing highly attractive opportunities for investors. 

"We believe that active management and detailed local knowledge will be pivotal in capturing the upsides offered by these markets. Mike has a long track record of success in engaging with UK intermediary audiences, and we believe he is well placed to support the next stage of Eastspring's international growth by unlocking access to our range of investment strategies and insights for wholesale audiences."

Mike Woolley added:"Eastspring's depth of Asian expertise and local knowledge, gained from its extensive footprint across 11 key Asian markets, offers an unparalleled insight into Asian markets which, given developments in the region, are likely to play an increasingly important role in investors' portfolios. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to ensure global investors understand Eastspring's value proposition and range of strategies, and why we are well positioned to support global investors in achieving their long-term performance and diversification goals."

Brown Advisory 

Brown Advisory, an independent and privately held global investment management firm that oversees approximately $121.6 billion in client assets, has made a string of senior appointments outside the United States as the business shows continued growth.

Serena Sim joins Brown Advisory as Head of Intermediary Sales, Asia, to further strengthen its presence in the APAC region. In her new role based in Brown Advisory's Singapore office, which has raised more than $1 billion in assets from clients based in the APAC region, Sim will work closely with the investment and business development teams to add further expertise and insight for clients. Sim joins from Janus Henderson, where she was Head of Intermediary Sales for Southeast Asia.

Rebecca Fernandes has been appointed International Counsel, based in the firm's London office. She has held a series of senior legal roles within the financial services industry, most recently as Counsel at Lazard Asset Management, and has held positions at Standard Life Aberdeen (now abrdn) and Legal & General. Fernandes brings deep sector expertise with significant experience in investment management, fund development, governance, distribution, regulatory change and commercial negotiation as Brown Advisory targets further growth.

Also in its London office, Brown Advisory has appointed Ella Riesco as Global Head of Institutional Marketing. Riesco joins from Julius Baer, where she was most recently Head of Marketing for Switzerland and EMEA. She brings over 18 years of brand, marketing and communications experience across asset and wealth management, including with Alliance Trust Plc and Jupiter Investment Management Group.

Logie Fitzwilliams, global head of sales and head of international business at Brown Advisory, said: "Brown Advisory's offering continues to go from strength to strength and we're excited to invest in senior talent as we enter the new year. Serena, Rebecca and Ella all bring extensive industry experience to the firm as we look to continue building our presence outside the U.S., with a focus on delivering exceptional service and strong investment returns for our clients."

The latest appointments follow a busy and successful period for Brown Advisory. In February 2022, it opened a new Frankfurt office as strong performance drove client inflows from across the DACH region. Brown Advisory also enjoyed a successful launch for its Global Sustainable Total Return Bond strategy following the strengthening of its sustainable fixed income team and upsized its London office premises in response to the continued expansion of the firm's International Business.

ALFI 

ALFI is pleased to announce the appointment of Britta Borneff as its new director of events, Communications and Business Development.

Borneff has 27 years of experience in the investment fund industry. Her professional career in Luxembourg started in 1996 with Schroders where she worked in marketing and client relationship roles for 11 years. From 2007 to 2021 she was Head of Sales & Marketing and Member of the Executive Committee at Waystone Management Company (Lux), a Luxembourg UCITS management company and AIFM. Before joining ALFI, she was Managing Director at Fuchs Asset Management from October 2021.

Borneff holds the INSEAD Certificate in Corporate Governance and has served on boards of UCITS funds.

A native German speaker, Borneff is also fluent in English, French and Dutch.

With this appointment, the ALFI management team is now composed of Camille Thommes, Director General; Marc-André Bechet, Deputy Director General; Emmanuel Gutton, Director of Legal and Tax; Miriam Henke, Secretary General; and Britta Borneff, Director of Events, Communications and Business Development.

Aaro Capital

Aaro Capital, the Cryptoassets and DLT investment specialist, has made a senior hire to its London office. 

Liz Adnitt is joining Aaro Capital's team as a Sales Director.She will be responsible for distribution and development of new and existing institutional client relationships.

She  brings over 20 years of experience in senior sales and management roles in the asset management industry plus the benefit of a highly developed contact network. Prior to joining Aaro Capital, she was most recently Head of UK Wholesale Distribution at Sanlam Investments for 7 years.

Before this, she held senior sales positions at Nordea Asset Management, LGIM and SVM Asset Management. Liz started her career as an analyst at JP Morgan Asset Management.