Franklin Templeton

Franklin Templeton has named Heneg Parthenay as Head of Insurance EMEA, effective 1 September 2022. 

Based in London, Parthenay reports jointly into Matthew Williams, head of sales, EMEA and Nick Hooten, head of client investment solutions, Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions. 

In this newly created role, he will lead and drive the development of Franklin Templeton's business with insurers across the EMEA region. He will partner closely with Franklin Templeton's specialist investment managers and local distribution teams to develop investment strategies designed to meet insurers' needs. 

Matthew Williams said: "Heneg brings over 22 years of insurance and asset management expertise that will be instrumental in developing our offering in the rapidly growing insurance market. I am delighted to welcome Heneg on board and look forward to working with him to address the evolving needs of insurers and build Franklin Templeton's footprint in the EMEA insurance market."

Nick Hooten added: "Insurance clients have very distinct objectives and parameters. Heneg brings insurance capital management and regulatory experience that will allow us to leverage fully the breadth of expertise of Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions. I look forward to working with Heneg to enhance and expand our solutions offering dedicated to EMEA insurers."  

Heneg joins Franklin Templeton from Insight Investment where he was head of insurance. Prior to this Heneg worked for BNY Mellon Asset Management, Aviva Investors and Aviva Group where he held senior positions focussed on M&A, capital management and strategy. In his earlier career, Heneg held actuarial and risk management positions at Renault SAS, AXA Corporate Solutions and Scor. 

Heneg earned a Master in Banking, Finance and Insurance and a Master in Risk Management from Paris Dauphine University. He also earned a Master in Actuarial Science from Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers and is a Fellow of the French Institute of Actuaries.

MetLife Investment Management 

MetLife Investment Management (MIM), the institutional asset management business of MetLife Inc., has named René Zeidan a director in its Institutional Client Group, where he will be responsible for institutional client strategy and the delivery of investment solutions to clients in Europe. 

Based in Frankfurt, Zeidan will primarily focus on the German and Austrian markets.

His addition to this newly created position expands MIM's European presence, building on its recent authorization by the Central Bank of Ireland to manage and distribute MIM's full range of investment capabilities across the European Economic Area.

Prior to joining MIM, he was a Director at Allianz Global Investors where he was responsible for business development and client service efforts for European insurance companies. 

He also was a Vice President and product specialist at MainFirst Asset Management. 

"His deep business development experience, product and market knowledge, together with his extensive network will help him broaden MIM's client relationships in Europe and help the firm deliver customized solutions for clients," said Nigel Murdoch, managing director and head of EMEA for the institutional client group. "We are thrilled to continue our expansion in Europe, where we believe our investment solutions are strongly aligned to institutional client needs."

Ogier 

Regulatory specialist Martin Byers has been promoted to counsel in Ogier's Cayman Islands team.

Byers has extensive experience advising on a wide range of regulatory matters including licensing, registration and approval requirements, reporting and information exchange obligations, economic substance, beneficial ownership, sanctions, on-site compliance inspections and matters relating to anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism.

His clients include financial institutions, multinational corporations, governments, public authorities, funds, sponsors, investment managers, administrators and other service providers.

While his practice focuses on the Cayman Islands, Martin also routinely acts on regulatory matters in the British Virgin Islands.

"The Cayman Islands is in a period of fast regulatory evolution and Martin's thorough understanding of this complex regulatory landscape has proved invaluable to clients. I'm delighted to see his hard work has been recognised and rewarded by this well-deserved promotion, adding further strength to Ogier's deep bench of regulatory experts," said partner Joanne Huckle.

Ogier's team of regulatory experts has long-standing relationships with industry regulators in the BVI, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Jersey and Luxembourg, and a wealth of experience assisting some of the world's largest financial services businesses in implementing change to meet the requirements of new laws and regulations.

SECOR Asset Management

SECOR Asset Management, an independent global investment advisory and risk management firm, has announced the appointment of Jason Allan as head of UK Distribution. He will be responsible for sales & marketing for the firm, while also managing SECOR's relationship with consultants, third-party fiduciary management evaluators and oversight providers.

Tony Kao, Managing Principal, at SECOR, said: "Since opening our London office in 2011 we have made great strides in the industry and a real and tangible difference to the solvency of many UK pension funds, resulting in a positive outcome for many thousands of their members. But there is more to do. The appetite for fiduciary management in the UK continues to grow with more and more schemes becoming increasingly frustrated with their path.  And many schemes that already use a fiduciary manager are now looking to test the market and retender through transparent and competitive tender exercises. 

"Jason joins us at a really exciting time for the organisation as we continue our push in the UK market. His expertise in investment consultancy, as well as time in asset management sales covering public & private markets and consultant relationships, means Jason will be a great asset in this next stage of growth."                                                                                                             

Allan added: "SECOR is a leader in the fiduciary management field, with a unique approach. They are continually carving out new ways to support schemes as they continue to tackle matters like funding, greater ESG incorporation and strengthening their Governance. Furthermore, as the market evolves, schemes are increasingly demanding tailored solutions and truly independent partners, like SECOR, to help them achieve their goals. I am excited about SECOR's commitment to creating the bespoke solutions clients need, and I am looking forward to being a part of this next phase in SECOR's development."

Allan joined SECOR on 1 July 2022 from Allianz Global Investors, where he was Business Development Director. Previously, Jason worked at State Street Global Advisors (Head of UK Pension Funds) and F&C (Director, Client Relations). Jason holds a BSc in Actuarial Mathematics from Heriot-Watt University and is a member of the Institute of Actuaries. 

Evelyn Partners 

Evelyn Partners, the UK wealth management and professional services group created from the merger of Tilney and Smith & Williamson, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kjersti Wiklund as an independent non-executive director. 

Wiklund is a seasoned non-executive, having previously had a very successful senior management career. She will bring a wealth of technology and business experience to the Board of Evelyn Partners.

During her executive career she held several senior leadership roles in a variety of countries, including Director, Group Technology Operations of Vodafone, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Technology Officer of Kyivstar in Ukraine, Chief Operating Officer of VimpelCom Russia, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Digi Telecommunications in Malaysia and Chief Information Officer at Telenor in Norway.

She is currently a Non-Executive Director of Nordea, the leading Nordic financial services group, and UK listed firms Spectris plc and Zegona Communications plc. She is also Non-Executive Director of Babcock International Group plc which she will step down from at the 2022 AGM. Kjersti has previously served on the Boards of Trainline Plc, technology firm Laird plc prior to its acquisition by Advent International, software firm Cxense and was Chair of Saga Robotics / Thorvald.

She graduated with an MSc in Electronics Engineering and Computer Science from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Additionally, she holds a Master in Business Management degree from the BI Norwegian Business School where she is now a member of the International Advisory Board.

Chris Grigg, Chair of Evelyn Partners, said: "We are delighted to welcome Kjersti to the Board of Evelyn Partners. She joins at a key moment for the group, having successfully completed the integration of Tilney and Smith & Williamson and recently moved to a new, unified brand. Kjersti has an outstanding business track record and brings considerable knowledge and acumen in using technology to drive change. I am very confident that her insights will prove invaluable to Evelyn Partners as we continue to progress with our ongoing programme of digital innovation."

Objectway

Objectway, a global top 100 banking, wealth & asset management software provider, has announced the appointment of Hassan Suffyan as managing director of Objectway for the UK region.

Suffyan joins the Objectway Group executive team to help drive the firm's expansion in the UK and Ireland. His vast knowledge and expertise will enhance the Group‘s capability to drive the digital enablement of wealth managers, private banks and asset managers. Hassan will also work with the executive team to execute strategic development initiatives across the Group.

He brings over 10 years of Wealth & Private Banking experience, with significant expertise in business, technology and consulting. Prior to joining Objectway, Hassan was Head of the Wealth Technology Practice for Ernst & Young UK and has previously worked for Coutts Private Bank as a Director in Wealth & Asset Management Delivery, as well as for other well-known wealth managers.

As a result of Objectway's constant commitment to the sector and investments, the firm has experienced a significant growth in this region, where it counts many leading wealth management firms as its clients. As Managing Director, he will be responsible for boosting Objectway's growth in this market, which is pivotal in the development plans of the Group.

Old Mill 

Old Mill has promoted three of its Wealth Management team as part of the firm's plans to double in size and become the fastest growing practice in the West Country.

As well as looking to recruit, a large part of Old Mill's growth strategy is to ‘retain and promote' current staff, ensuring they are happy at work, and have the opportunity and support to progress and the firm is therefore pleased to announce the promotions of Becca Pullman, Suzy May and Lewis Dyer. 

Becca, Suzy and Lewis have all been promoted from client manager to trainee financial planners.

Becca joined Old Mill when she was 20. She had just returned home from abroad having spent three years working in hospitality and had no idea what she wanted to do. She enjoyed maths and had a natural way with people, so one of her mum's friends who works at Old Mill, suggested she try financial planning. 

"Back then I didn't even know what a pension was, but after only a month working in a great business, with supportive colleagues, in a role where I got to work closely with people and help them reach their goals, I knew this was the place for me," said Becca.

"This promotion is testament that Old Mill believes in me too and I am keen to keep learning, keep developing and carve out a long and successful career at Old Mill."

Suzy, who joined Old Mill six years ago and works from the Wells office said: "There is definitely a strong desire to promote people from within the firm, so if you want it and put the work in, the opportunities are there. It has been my goal to be a financial planner for a few years now, so I feel really proud to have made it to this role, but it is also a little daunting. However, there is a lot of support and help within Old Mill - everyone wants you to succeed - so I am taking a lot of reassurance from that."

Lewis joined Old Mill three years ago, and says he was attracted to the firm because, despite its impressive growth, it had not lost its family culture. Lewis - who was promoted following a successful Adviser Assessment Day - says he is looking forward to working in a more client-facing role: "I learnt a lot in the more administrative role of Client Manager, but I have always preferred the client-facing side of work so was more than ready to start meeting with more clients. 

He added: "I have been keen to progress since I started and have gradually been taking on more and more responsibility so am delighted with my new role - I think it shows that, at Old Mill, even if you are quite new, if you work hard, the career opportunities are there.

"The next 6-12 months will be about building up my technical knowledge, attending as many meetings as possible and growing my client base so I am in a good position to take the next step in my career."

Paula Hodge, head of wealth management at Old Mill added: "When we announced the restructure, we talked about how it would enable quicker career progression for staff, so we are delighted to now be able to put this into practice, demonstrating how much we value Suzy, Lewis and Becca, and showcasing the fantastic career opportunities we have at Old Mill. 

"We hope it will encourage more people to come into the business - either from a financial services background, or like Becca did, from a completely different sector - and see for themselves what a great career they can have with us."