Guardian Managers, the UK-based investment boutique which serves private and professional investment funds, has appointed Vincent Orlando as director and chief executive officer.

It is hoped that the appointment of Mr Orlando will help the firm extend its product capabilities because he has built up wide experience as a senior investment professional with the pan-European investment platforms of big banks and fund managers, the firm said in a statement.

Mr Orlando joined the firm from an English private equity group, Marcol, with more than £3 billion ($4.88 billion) of assets under management, where he was a senior portfolio manager responsible for European funds. He has also worked at UBS Global Asset Management as assistant portfolio manager and as a senior manager with Morgan Stanley Real Estate and Morley Fund Management.

In other developments at the firm, in September last year Guardian Managers launched the Guardian Permanent Income Fund, which is aimed at delivering superior risk-adjusted returns in a low interest environment.