Simon Smith joins VAM from Alquity Investment Management where he had worked for five years as business development director covering Africa and the Middle East.
Nigel Watson, sales director for VAM said: “We are committed to establishing and building a more regular and quality distribution capability in Africa, where demand for high quality investment funds and products is increasing.
“We have seen significant growth in the number of advisory firms throughout the continent in the past year and we want to support that distribution channel with dedicated support.”
Prior to joining Alquity – which last month launched its fifth fund, the Future World Fund – Smith held roles at Barclays Group, Alliance & Leicester Bank and National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia and has been based in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the UK.
Watson said the appointment of Smith comes at a time of “significant growth” for the company, with assets under management having increased by 40% in the past 12 months. He added that “underlying flows from African markets” had shown similar growth levels and that this is expected to continue.
