Barclays Wealth has appointed Marco Severi as a vice president within its alternative investment distribution team, along with Ishtaj Rahman as a hedge fund specialist within its alternative origination team – continuing a recent recruitment spree for this side of the business.

Both new appointees are based in London, with Severi reporting to Jamie Murray, EMEA head of alternative investment distribution, and Rahman reporting to the firm’s EMEA head of hedge fund origination, Sarah Newman.

Barclays Wealth has been rapidly adding to its team of alternative investment specialists, making a raft of senior appointments over recent months. In August the firm named Boudewijn Jansen and Newman as head of private equity origination and head of hedge fund origination respectively; Jamie Murray also joined as a director and Emily Smart was appointed as hedge fund specialist. Barclays Wealth is however far from alone in looking to build up its alternative investment capabilities as high net worth clients’ interest in these investment pools resurges after the terrible year they experienced in 2008.

“We believe alternative investments will continue to grow in importance and the identification and structuring of the right solutions demands more resources. The team in the EMEA region is committed to delivering tailored investment solutions to our clients in conjunction with Barclay Wealth's overall investment philosophy,” said Craig Lewis, head of EMEA relationship management and distribution.