The latest moves in wealth management across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Fidelity International
Investment firm Fidelity International has appointed of Hugh Prendergast as global head of product, effective 19 February.

In this newly created role, Prendergast will bring together and lead Fidelity’s product teams based around the world and will be responsible for continuing to develop its global product strategy. He will report into Bart Grenier, global head of asset management.

Prendergast has over 20 years’ experience in asset management and has spent the last 16 years at Pioneer Investments. His most recent role was as head of strategic product and marketing, where he led the product development and marketing functions for Europe, Latin America, US offshore and Asia.

RBS International
Global banking group RBS International has appointed several new members to its funds banking team.

Mike Lewis has been appointed head of private equity and funds banking in London and, Jamie Mehmood has been appointed as the new head of asset managers, infrastructure and debt funds and funds banking in London.  The firm has also appointed Emily Bradshaw as the new head of funds banking in Luxembourg, Seán O’Callaghan as head of private equity real estate and funds banking in Jersey, and Jean-Paul Peters as head of fund administration sector.

During a 29-year banking career with RBS, Lewis has spent 14 years with RBS International. He has worked at a senior level in all four jurisdictions where RBS International provides funds banking services, including many years as a director in Guernsey.

Mehmood has worked for RBS for 17 years, where he gained experience in debt re-structuring, relationship coverage and sustainable energy. Bradshaw has 10 years’ banking experience and has been a director since 2012. 

O’Callaghan has 17 years’ experience working for RBS International in Jersey and AIB in Ireland.  Peters is currently head of funds banking in Guernsey, and has worked for the bank for 18 years, 14 of those in Guernsey.

Hermes Investment Management
Hermes Investment Management has appointed Amit Mehta as director and senior Asia analyst in its emerging markets team.

Based in London, Mehta will report into Gary Greenberg, head of emerging markets.

In this new role, Mehta will work within the team managing the Asian stocks in the portfolio, providing research, analysis and generating models on existing and potential areas of investment.

With a career spanning over 20 years, Mehta has experience in equity portfolio management and analysis, working for a number of leading firms including PIMCO, Pictet, Insight Investment, Morgan Stanley and KPMG.

Fairstone Group
UK financial planning firm Fairstone Group has appointed Tom Taylor as chief risk officer, effective May 2018. Taylor will also join the Fairstone Group board of directors.

Taylor has almost 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. In his career, Taylor has held senior risk roles at Marsh, Ageas, KPMG and EY.

In his new role, Taylor will manage Fairstone’s regulatory strategy and policy alongside the group’s compliance and risk framework.

As part of Fairstone’s continued investment in its leadership team, Grahame Hinselwood also joins the group in April 2018 as the group’s head of compliance.

Hinselwood spent 12 years with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and also spent three years as a senior consultant for Three Sixty.

Fairstone also confirmed that due to family reasons Sheriden Davy will no longer be taking up the position of group compliance director at the firm.

Smith & Williamson
Financial services firm Smith & Williamson has appointed Mark Swain as lead manager of the UK Equity Income Fund, where he is currently deputy, and Ian Kenny, head of fixed interest, as manager of the Fixed Interest Fund.

Swain has over 15 years’ experience in UK equities and will remain a deputy on the Enterprise Fund and UK Equity Growth Fund. He succeeds Tineke Frikkee, who is leaving Smith & Williamson to pursue other opportunities.

Kenny is the lead manager of the Short-Dated Corporate Bond Fund and has worked at Smith & Williamson for his entire 21 year career. He succeeds John Anderson, who is retiring.

Both fund manager changes are effective from 1 February. 

RWC Partners
Investment management firm RWC Partners has appointed Geordie Barron to develop and grow its business in the intermediary market across the South of England.

Barron joins from JP Morgan Asset Management, where he managed relationships throughout the UK, across both retail and wholesale operations.

In his new role, Barron will report to Gary Tuffield, RWC’s head of UK intermediary distribution.

JHC Systems
Wealth management fintech firm JHC Systems has hired Ron Tomlinson as head of solutions development.

Tomlinson was formerly at Dion, where he was global head of development of wealth and post trade. He was responsible for all product development relating to wealth management clients.

He will report to chief financial officer, Gareth Anderson.