Holborn Assets 

International financial advice firm Holborn Assets has named Peter Wesley as managing director of Holborn Property. He has over 30 years of experience in the UK and international property markets as an agent and developer.

Wesley will be building on an established business that currently markets £100,000,000 of retail and commercial property offerings. He will be doubling the size of the UK off-plan market within a year, with unique offerings to Holborn and also be introducing a new product range for the HNW and UHNW market. 

"Peter's drive, energy and commitment will aim to turn the business into £500m per annum within 3 years", its statement said.

Following his appointment, Holborn will also be launching a revamped website with a property portal that will allow clients to view the latest availability and prices online.  

Robert Parker, CEO of Holborn Assets, said: "Peter joins us at an exciting time for the property market. Property is a key part of wealth management; Holborn are leaders, in the expatriate world, at providing a wide range of excellent investments. Peter's role is to build on our existing success and bring his network of contacts to the party." 

Wesley noted: "Bob Parker and the Board have done an incredible job building an internationally recognised and respected global wealth management company. I am hopeful that my extensive property experience will allow Holborn Property as division of Holborn Assets to expand to new heights." 

Wesley has worked as a consultant for different property development companies and high-net worth individuals. His last employed position was LCP (London & Cambridge Properties). He is also the managing director of Hawfinch and Turnstone Group.

VG 

VG, the Jersey independent providers of trust, corporate and fund administration solutions, has bolstered its funds team with the appointment of Paul Mundy as head of funds.

Mundy brings over 30 years' experience having held several senior roles, most recently as managing director of a Jersey-based Trust Company and global head of fund services. 

He has an extensive background in fund administration, governance, and custody services and has worked on numerous fund entities including single asset holding vehicles and large complex structures for both closed and open-ended funds. He has a wealth of knowledge in a variety of asset classes including digital, real assets, private equity, debt, hedge, and the more specialised niche esoteric assets.

His experience stems from previously having held several executive and non-executive director positions, on both regulated and unregulated entities and company boards, and lead large teams of funds professionals over the years in his capacity as managing director of two funds businesses. He has also held senior Risk and Compliance roles at several well-respected banks including Royal Bank of Scotland International, Citibank and JP Morgan. 

Mundy said: "I am excited to have joined the team at VG and working alongside the existing highly experienced team to grow the funds business.  Being one of Jersey's largest independent providers means VG is able to be nimble and responsive to client needs. This is a key requirement in a developing market and one of the many things that has attracted me to VG.

His appointment will lean on his extensive fund administration and custody experience, with a focus on staff development, client relations and risk management as he works alongside Ashley Le Feuvre to strengthen and build the existing book of regulated funds business. 

Robeco Switzerland

Robeco Switzerland has appointed Rachel Whittaker, head of sustainable investing (SI) research at Robeco, to its executive committee as at 1 October 2022, subject to approval by the Swiss financial market regulator (FINMA). 

Her experience and expertise in SI strengthen the Robeco Switzerland Executive Committee which also includes David Hrdina, Chair and Business Manager Switzerland, and Sandra Cafazzo, Head of Sales and Marketing Switzerland.

The appointment also underlines the importance of SI Research in Robeco's activities.

Whittaker, who is based in Zurich, has over 20 years' experience in the investment industry, specializing in SI since 2007. She leads an international team of 18 experts who contribute to all of Robeco's strategies through industry research on the impact of ESG on company fundamentals, and collaborate on the development of SI frameworks used across Robeco. 

She first worked for Robeco from 2015-2017 as a Senior SI Analyst, rejoining to lead the team in 2021. In the interim she was an SI strategist and latterly head of the Zurich SI team in the CIO Office of UBS' global wealth management arm. 
Prior to joining Robeco in 2015, she held SI roles with Vontobel Asset Management and Mercer's Investment Consulting business in London, and started her career as a sell-side equity research analyst. 

Martin K. Weber, chair of the board of directors of Robeco Switzerland said: "Since rejoining our team as Head of SI Research, Rachel has made massive strides in ensuring access to extensive sustainability know-how, which is an integral part of Robeco's investment process. Her appointment therefore not only confirms our confidence that Rachel will successfully help steer Robeco Switzerland, but it also underpins the importance of the SI Research department to our global company."

Zedra 

Zedra has announced that Kim Nash will become managing director of Zedra Governance. The appointment will take effect from 1 November 2022.

Nash will be assuming the managing director role from Richard Butcher who has held the position since 2010. Richard will be giving up his management and operational duties, and cutting back his working week, as a first and significant step towards eventual retirement. He will, however, remain at the firm for a time as a Client Director and continue to look after his current portfolio of clients.

Butcher said: "Kim joined Zedra as a client director in February 2012 and became a member of the board in 2017. Her calm assurance, excellent people skills, and extensive technical knowledge have made her one of the most sought-after professional trustees in the industry and I wish her success in her new role. No doubt she will continue being a great asset for the team and our clients." 

M&G

M&G has named Ryohei Yanagi as its new deputy president of M&G Investments Japan, to enhance the firm's Japanese equities stewardship capabilities.
 
A renowned figure across Japan in both stewardship and ESG circles, Yanagi is formally appointed to the non-executive role following a prior period of consultancy with M&G Investments Japan. 

As an adviser to fund manager Carl Vine, Yanagi will provide expertise and insight to M&G's portfolio companies, with the role signalling the firm's intention to become the manager of choice for Japanese companies.
 
Throughout his career, Yanagi has worked with a broad range of private companies and public institutions, as well as holding positions in the academic world as visiting professor at Waseda University. 

He is well known for the work he has conducted on ESG and stewardship, developing the "Yanagi Model", a formula designed to show the relationship between ESG factors and corporate value.
 
M&G has a long history of investing in Japan, with its earliest investments stretching back to 1973. Today, M&G has in excess of £5bn invested in listed Japanese companies in funds managed by Carl Vine and his team.  
 
Carl Vine, co-head of Asia Pacific equity investment at M&G, said: "Dr. Yanagi's appointment is a major milestone for us as we seek to grow our Japanese investment capability and broaden the range of resources we offer to our portfolio companies. Following important governance changes in Japan in recent years, significant opportunity exists to work closely with companies, helping them to become better versions of themselves. This "value-added shareholdership" creates value not only to the companies in which we invest, but also to our investors."