The latest moves and appointments in wealth management in the UK, the rest of Europe, the Middle East and other select locations.

Lombard Odier
Swiss private bank Lombard Odier has appointed David Barker as a senior wealth planner in its UK wealth planning team in London.

Barker (pictured), who took up his position on 11 December, reports to Jennifer Ollerenshaw, head of wealth planning UK. Barker previously worked for 25 years at UK accountancy firm Rawlinson & Hunter, where his roles included head of tax and managing partner.

“His deep expertise will be invaluable as he supports this network in delivering personalised wealth planning strategies and solutions for our clients,” Duncan MacIntyre, Lombard Odier UK CEO, said.

GSB
Financial services group GSB has appointed Nigel Gregory as global head of GSB Capital and Christopher Somers as a senior partner in GSB Private’s banking team.

They will be based in the group’s Dubai office in the Dubai International Finance Centre. Their appointments will support the Group’s ambition of expanding its business across the UK and Europe, as well as the Middle East, the firm said in a statement.

Somers’ remit will be to counsel GSB’s high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients' private banking and finance solutions. Somers, who has covered markets in the Middle East for more than a decade, has become a trusted advisor to many leading UHNW individuals and families in the GCC and globally, the firm added.

Before joining GSB, Somers held senior positions at Standard Chartered Bank in the UAE and the Royal Bank of Canada in London. Before this, he served as a commissioned British Army Officer for 17 years, after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Gregory, who has a wealth of experience in banking and wealth management, has worked in various senior executive roles across compliance, training, sales, and management in UK banks for 10 years. Additionally, he has extensive experience in building international IFA businesses in the USA, Europe, MENA, and Asia.

As a member of the leadership and senior executive team, Gregory's focus will be on developing GSB's retail offerings. This includes overseeing global expansion into new territories to broaden the firm's impact, enhance its proposition, and attract and retain both clients and talent.

“Nigel and Chris's addition to the GSB community reinforces our culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous growth. We are excited about the future, and we look forward to achieving great things together," Ross Whatnall, co-founder and CEO, said.

GSB was founded by Ross and Alison Whatnall in April 2021. It provides a range of wealth management services to a broad range of clients seeking investment, wealth and financial planning based.