UK-based Stenham Asset Management has hired Damian Brannan as a managing director, heading the firm’s plans for capability growth.

Brannan has over 22 years’ investment experience and will be a member of Stenham’s Investment Advisory Committee. Prior to joining Stenham, Brannan worked as head of hedge fund advisory for the UK and Asia, at Union Bancaire Privee.

Sean Melnick, chairman of Stenham Group, said that Brannan “has been charged with broadening out Stenham’s asset management offering as well as suitably augmenting its business development capabilities”.

Brannan will work closely with chief investment officer Kevin Arenson and Dominique Montier, senior executive, allowing the latter to focus exclusively on investment management and risk control.

As managing director his responsibilities will include providing strong returns with a focus on mitigating investment and operational risks, the firm said.

Stenham Asset Management has clients located primarily in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Caribbean, Europe, South Africa, Latin America, Japan, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The firm had $2.1 billion in total assets as of February 2013.