Arbuthnot Latham & Co, the UK-based private bank, is extending its discretionary investment management and banking services to IFAs, solicitors and accountants, and has made two new appointments to drive forward this initiative.

Gareth Syms has joined from Brooks Macdonald as head of business development and Kevin Rait has come across from Zurich Intermediary Group as business development manager. In their new roles Syms and Rait are tasked with ramping up Arbuthnot Latham’s relationships with key professionals, with both acting as key contacts for IFAs, solicitors and accountants.

While at Brooks Macdonald Syms held a similar role supporting a national network of financial advisors, solicitors and accountants, having previously worked at TD Waterhouse. Rait, meanwhile, was latterly a senior sales consultant at  Zurich Intermediary Group’s Reigate office, having worked at The Hartford and Fidelity Investments before that.

Arbuthnot Latham joins a growing list of UK firms targeting advisors looking to outsource elements of their practice ahead of the implementation of the regulator’s Retail Distribution Review package of reforms. While some see such discretionary investment management outsourcing offerings as an attempt by larger firms to “land grab” assets, proponents argue that outsourcing investment management allows advisors to focus on client service.