Axa
Marc Blottiere has been named as regional chief operating officer at Axa Asia. Having started the role on 1 June, he will report to the regional head of the division Jean-Louis Laurent Josi.
Credited with upgrading the organisation’s IT infrastructure around the world, Blottiere will now focus on transforming Axa Asia’s overall IT and operations capabilities in the region across all of its lines of business.
The former chief information officer at Axa’s French operation, Blottiere has held a number of senior roles within the company including in Singapore and Japan. Before his stint in France, he spent five years as chief operating officer of Axa Life Japan. Prior to this, he served as the group’s chief information officer between 2005 and 2009.
Walker Crips
Walker Crips has hired Nutmeg’s former head of compliance Guy Jackson as the company’s new compliance director.
Jackson was replaced by Rani Pone, who joined from MetLife Investments, after he left Nutmeg late last year.
Jackson will be responsible for providing compliance and regulatory support to Walker Crips’ board.
Jackson began his career with an eight-year stint as a compliance officer at Santander Asset Management. He then went on to become the chief compliance officer at boutique investment management firm Rexiter Capital Management.
Legal & General
The UK Treasury’s most senior civil servant is in line to become chairman of Legal & General (L&G), The Times has reported.
The acting permanent secretary at the Treasury, John Kingman is tipped for the chairman ship of one of Britain’s largest insurers.
The role comes with a £340,000 ($490,341, €431, 878) salary for three days a week.
Kingman is credited with playing a key role in the government bail outs of Northern Rock, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland.
The paper states that an application has been lodged with the Prudential Regulation Authority, while L&G’s consults with its largest institutional shareholders.
The move is subject to approval by the British parliament’s advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba), which checks and approves MP and civil servants’ proposed job moves to the private sector.
L&G Investment Management
Meanwhile L&G Investment Management (LGIM), one of Europe’s largest institutional asset managers, has appointed Michael Marks as chief operating officer (COO), subject to regulatory approval.
Marks will report to LGIM chief executive Mark Zinkula and will join the company at the end of June. He will be responsible for strategic change management, investment operations, IT and the data management office.
Rowan Dartington
Rowan Dartington has appointed Alex Philipson as investment manager in its London office.
Philipson will actively manage private clients’ assets and will report to head of wealth Paul Field. He joins from Quilter Cheviot, where he spent four years.
A chartered MSCI, Philipson is an experienced discretionary management professional, having spent 13 years at Williams de Broë.
In addition to his role at Rowan Dartington, Philipson is also a shareholder and non-executive director of Eco-Positive, a London-based renewable energy project finance and development company.
GFI Investment Management
Chinese investment manager GFI has named Hao Chen as the new chief investment officer role in Hong Kong.
Chen will be responsible for formulating investment strategies, including those for the firm’s absolute return and Hong Kong equity capabilities.
Previously, Chen was a senior portfolio manager at Value Partners. Before that, he worked for China Life Franklin Asset Management, Baillie Gifford Investment Management and China Life Asset Management, where he managed the Hong Kong equity and A-share portfolios.
Chen will report to GFI chief executive Tom Ding, who has been covering both roles until Chen’s appointment but will now focus on expanding the business overseas, the firm said in a statement.
