The new CEO takes over from the man who has guided it during its M&A expansion and adoption of its new name.

UK-based Evelyn Partners has appointed Paul Geddes as its new chief executive, taking the helm from Chris Woodhouse, who is retiring after a stint of more than five years in the role.

Geddes’ role is subject to regulatory approval and he is due to join on 3 July. Prior to this, he was CEO at QA Group from 2019. QA, which provides higher education and workforce learning programmes, is owned by CVC Capital Partners. (Editor’s note: the appointment of a person running an education and training-focused operation is an interesting move by Evelyn.)

Prior to leading QA, Geddes spent 10 years as CEO of Direct Line, the FTSE 250 insurance group, until 2019. He was also CEO of the Insurance division of the Royal Bank of Scotland, which included the Direct Line, Churchill, Privilege, Green Flag and NIG brands.

Woodhouse’s tenure coincided with the merger of Tilney and Smith & Williamson to become Evelyn Partners. During that period, assets under management rose from £23.5 billion ($29.6 billion) at the end of 2017 to £54.4 billion (as at 31 March 2023).