Threadneedle has hired Esther Perkins into the new role of head of Europe, Australasia and the Far East. The firm says this is part of a long term growth plan for participation in the US market place which will require a dedicated EAFE team and a comprehensive range of EAFE products to meet client demands both now and in the future. Ms Perkins joins after four years at Standard Life where she was fund manager for various retail and institutional global equity funds including its Canadian international equity fund and its global overseas equity fund. Before that she spent nearly five years at Goldman Sachs where she was part of the pan-European industrials sector and EMEA teams.