Nedgroup Investments has expanded its international distribution team with two new hires to support a new boutique platform.

Rachel Ferguson joins as client solutions lead, effective September following the appointment of Rachel Canning as distribution support manager in December 2022.

The new hires, based in London and reporting to chief commercial officer Apiramy Jeyarajah, will focus on building up the client ecosystem for Nedgroup's recently launched in-house boutique platform. 

They will be responsible for the end-to-end distribution process and the development of new and existing institutional and wholesale client relationships in the UK and continental Europe, driving Nedgroup Investment's commitment to delivering a client-centric asset management approach. 

Prior to joining Nedgroup, Ferguson worked as a business development manager at Aegon Asset Management (formally Kames Capital) and was with the firm for a total of seven years. She was responsible for developing relationships within the UK wholesale market. Before that, she held roles at Aberdeen Standard Investments and SVM Asset Management. She has 10 years of industry experience.

Canning spent close to 14 years at Janus Henderson Investors, most recently as the UK sales & client services manager. Before that, she was a sales executive at New Star Asset Management. She has over 15 years of industry experience. 

Apiramy Jeyarajah, chief commercial officer at Nedgroup Investments, said: "We have ambitious growth plans in the UK and Europe and there are many exciting developments underway. I am thrilled to welcome two strong additions to our growing distribution team and we will continue to expand the team in the coming months. 

"Throughout the launch of our in-house boutique platform, we have emphasised the strength of building partnerships, and these new hires will pioneer our client-centric approach and oversee our most important partnerships - that with our clients."

Tom Caddick, managing director of Nedgroup Investments (International), added: "The expansion of our distribution team is yet another step in our journey at Nedgroup to establishing an environment conducive to exceptional fund managers and championing boutiques.

"The platform we are building is creating a home for managers to freely pursue their investment strategies and offer clients an integrated Nedgroup experience, not just new products; that is why it is so important to get our distribution team right."