Architas, the UK multi-manager investment company which is part of the AXA Group, has appointed Duncan Freestone head of operations, a role which includes the overseeing of middle and back office processes, and the coordination of IT activities.

Mr Freestone was previously head of change management for AXA Investment Managers UK, having previously held the role of head of business systems teams and UK IT.

The announcement of Mr Freestone’s appointment closely follows that of Etienne Rougier as director of business development covering both the UK and continental European markets.

“Architas will benefit greatly from Duncan’s extensive experience in operations, projects and IT. It is vital for Architas to have a strong operations team in order to deliver investment excellence to our clients,” said Mr Rougier.

Architas’ parent company, the AXA Group, provides financial protection and wealth management services across Western Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region, employing 110,000 people across 50 countries.