The latest moves in wealth management across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Tilney
UK wealth manager Tilney continues to boost its north of England presence with the appointment of Ben Roberts as an investment director. He will be based in the firm’s Manchester office, and follows three fresh hires there in September.

Roberts joins from investment manager Brooks Macdonald, where he spent 6 years as an investment director. Prior to this he was a private client manager for Brown Shipley private bank. At Tilney, Roberts will work alongside financial planners to deliver its custom integrated wealth management service to clients.

Alan Edwards, head of investment management at Tilney, welcomed Roberts’ appointment and said the group’s Manchester Investment team has “doubled in size this year. Our ability to hire candidates of this calibre will stand us in good stead as we continue to strengthen our presence in the region,” he said.

Aviva Investors
UK global asset manager Aviva Investors has appointed Aaron Armstrong to a newly created role as portfolio manager of global emerging market equities, as the group continues to strengthen its equities offering.

Armstrong’s arrival on November 5 adds to a sweep of hires for Aviva’s equities team this year. David Cumming was appointed chief investment officer back in January; nine new members joined the emerging markets teams in July; and Aviva hired Susan Schmidt in October to head up US equities.

Armstrong joins from asset managers Alquity, where he spent over four years, most recently as a senior analyst in the Asian investment team. He will report to Alistair Way who heads up Aviva’s global emerging market equities.

Way said of the move: “In a competitive market with increasing divergence in company performance, sound stock selection will be key to delivering the investment outcomes our clients seek.” He said Armstrong brings a “strong track record in Asian mid-cap stock picking”, which will “enhance” the firm’s emerging-market growth plans.