Former St James's Place director heads to Fundhouse as new CIO

Joe Wiggins has joined the investment consulting firm Fundhouse as chief investment officer for clients in the UK and Europe.

Wiggins was previously director of liquid markets at St. James's Place, leaving the role last month after just over a year in the role, alluding to tensions between himself and the wealth management firm.

Writing on LinkedIn, he said: "Although a relatively brief stay was never my intention, sometimes you must acknowledge when things do not quite fit."

A spokesperson for SJP said at the time: "Joe has taken the decision to move to a different type of role within the investment industry.

"Joe has made a valuable contribution to the evolution of the investment team in the time he has been at SJP, and we wish him well for the future."

Before SJP, Wiggins spent seven years at abrdn as a senior analyst and then fund manager. He also held positions at Chelsea Financial Services, Principal Investment Management and Stamford Associates.

Wiggins is also a behaviour finance expert, with his first book on the topic due to be published later this year. Fundhouse said that Wiggins would use his behavioural finance knowledge in the role "to improve decision-making and reduce bias".

Wiggins said: "I joined Fundhouse for many reasons, but ultimately I was drawn to their unwavering independence and unique position of providing impartial advice and guidance to clients. I have known Rory and the team at Fundhouse for a considerable period of time, and I am sure that this is the place where I can put my investment experience and behavioural finance knowledge to best use.  

"I also feel that my values as an individual and an investor are aligned with Fundhouse, which matters a great deal to me. I think the business can go from strength to strength from here, and I am looking forward to being a part of that."

Rory Maguire, co-founder and managing director of Fundhouse, added: "We are thrilled to welcome Joe into the team at Fundhouse.  Besides having an exceptional investment mind, he is a really nice person, and we are all delighted to be working with him. His focus on reducing bias creates excellent alignment, particularly at Fundhouse where we try our best to defend the interests of pensioners and savers."