Europe's largest asset manager has created a research entity to improve the group's communication over economics, geopolitics and environment to clients.

European asset manager Amundi has named Vincent Mortier as chief investment officer to replace Pascal Blanqué who has been appointed chair of the group’s new research division of Amundi Institute.

Mortier, who has been deputy CIO since 2015, has been instrumental in anchoring ESG at the heart of the investment process, the group said. He has also supervised its activities in Asia ex-Japan, developing Amundi’s businesses in the region, playing a key role in setting up the joint venture with Bank of China in particular. He joined Amundi from Société Générale CIB where he began his career, holding several positions within equity derivatives, most recently as chief financial officer of global banking and investment.

Following Mortier's promotion, Matteo Germano has been appointed deputy chief investment officer of Amundi. He has been global head of multi-asset at Amundi as well as chief investment officer for Italy since 2017, leading the firm's €297 billion ($337 billion) multi-asset platform.

Amundi has created the research institute to “better understand their environment and the evolution of investment practices” in an “increasing complex and changing world. This environment includes economic, financial, geopolitical, societal and environmental dimensions,” Amundi said in a statement.

The new division, which will strengthen the advice, training and day-to-day dialogue for clients – distributors, institutions and corporates – will bring together its research, market strategy and asset allocation advisory activities under the Amundi Institute. With an initial staff of 60, it will also be responsible for conveying Amundi's convictions and its investment and portfolio construction recommendations, continuing to serve and strengthen Amundi’s investment management teams, the group said. 

Blanqué will supervise this new business line2 which will be supported by Monica Defend, new head of Amundi Institute. "Inflation, environmental issues, geopolitical tensions... there are many structural regime changes underway.  Investors across the board expect a deeper dialogue and sophisticated advice to build more robust portfolios,” Pascal Blanqué, chairman of Amundi Institute and member of Amundi's executive committee, said.

"The creation of the Amundi Institute will enhance the contribution of research to all of Amundi's asset management activities so that they can continue to create high performing investment solutions over the long term, adapted to the specific needs of each client and taking into account all the parameters of an increasingly complex environment,” Vincent Mortier, CIO at Amundi, said.

The group also named John O’Toole as head of multi-asset investment solutions and Francesco Sandrini as head of multi-asset strategies. O’Toole, who has been global head of multi-asset fund solutions at Amundi since 2010, joined Amundi (previously Pioneer Investments) in 2005 as global head of fund research and manager selection. Prior to this, he was a senior portfolio manager at Luxembourg-based IKANO family office for five years.  

Sandrini, who joined Amudi in 1998, has been overseeing multi-asset balanced, income and real return since 2017. Prior to this, he headed the group’s multi asset security from 2012. In his previous role in Munich, he led the European institutional portfolio management team.