The latest moves, appointments and personnel changes in wealth management and related organisations in the UK, the rest of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and other select international locations.

Continuum
UK-based corporate finance advisory firm, Continuum, hired this week two new dealmakers Patrick Lawther and Cody Nissan to strengthen the M&A advisory business, as it continues to grow since launching in 2022. The firm focuses on advising on mergers and acquisitions in the UK and Europe.

Lawther and Nissan will enhance the firm’s capabilities in the wealth, pensions, asset management, and financial services data and digital sectors, the firm said in a statement. Lawther is a financial services banker with two decades of experience advising clients in the wealth, pensions, and asset management sector. He joins from Deloitte, where he led their UK wealth and asset management M&A advisory team for 5 years. Prior to Deloitte, he was a senior member of Canaccord Genuity Hawkpoint’s FIG investment banking team.

Lawther will co-lead Continuum’s wealth, pensions, and asset management M&A advisory business alongside Myles Phillips who joined Continuum at its inception from KBW, and has led Continuum’s wealth and asset management transactions to date.

Nissan joins Continuum from Goldman Sachs, where he was a vice president in their financial institutions group investment banking team. He has nearly six years of investment banking and corporate finance experience advising public and private corporations, entrepreneurial clients, and private equity sponsors across the financial services and financial technology sectors. He will enhance Continuum’s financial services technology and software sector team.

EFG Asset Management (Switzerland)
EFG Asset Management(Switzerland) has appointed Damian Burkhardt as senior portfolio manager, Swiss equities, effective immediately. In this new role, Burkhardt (pictured) will be based in Zurich and will report Daniel Murray, deputy CIO and global head of research at EFG Asset Management.

As senior portfolio manager, Swiss equities, which includes the New Capital Swiss Small and Mid-Cap Future Leaders Fund (formerly New Capital Swiss Select Equity Fund), Burkhardt will drive growth of EFG’s Swiss equities franchise and the development of Swiss equities strategies, combining systematic analysis of Swiss corporates with an active management approach to identify attractive investment opportunities in Switzerland.

A seasoned Swiss equities investment professional, previously Burkhardt had served as head of Swiss equities since 2023 at Credit Suisse Asset Management. Prior to that, he worked for Lombard Odier Investment Managers, where he was primarily responsible for managing a number of Swiss equity funds alongside a thematic fund. Earlier in his career, he served as senior private markets investment manager at BlackRock Private Equity Partners.

Burkhardt holds a master’s in accounting and finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a dual bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration from the University of St Gallen, Switzerland. He is also a CFA charterholder.

“With his extensive expertise in Swiss equities and his experience of working with both institutional and private investors, I am convinced that he will successfully drive the growth agenda for our Swiss equities business as we continue to expand our investment platform,” Murray said.

Ogier Regulatory Consulting
Ogier Regulatory Consulting has welcomed Jamie Biddle as a director, based in Jersey.

Biddle has a background in handling complex regulatory matters, reinforcement investigations, and offering guidance across multiple jurisdictions, the firm said in a statement. Drawing on his legal foundation, Biddle will be turning his attention to regulatory services as part of the Ogier Regulatory Consulting team.

Prior to joining Ogier, Biddle co-founded and served as a director at Oben Regulatory Limited, where he managed enforcement and criminal investigations, and provided counsel on deferred prosecution agreements. Biddle’s contributions have significantly influenced various sectors within financial services, delivering “unparalleled insights into the Jersey Financial Services Commission settlement process and civil penalties,” the firm said.

“Jamie's wealth of experience and nuanced understanding of regulatory frameworks are an asset to our team. His track record in resolving complex issues will benefit our high-quality advisory services.,” Tui Iti, global head of Ogier Regulatory Consulting, said.