Walker Crips, the UK-based financial services group, has added investment director Oliver Brind to its investment management division.

The hire of Brind – formerly a client director at Credit Suisse – is part of moves by the firm to expand its private client business. Brind is charged with introducing and managing Walker Crips Investment Management's high net worth proposition, the firm said; he will report to Mark Rushton, the firm's chief investment officer.

Last month Walker Crips launched its Actively Managed Portfolio Service, which is slightly different from many of the propositions to come onto the market since it offers direct investment in equities and bonds, alongside the more traditional collective scheme selection.

The “Ready to Invest” offering is also significantly larger than most of those which have been recently launched since it includes 20 possible portfolios within five risk profiles (defensive, cautious, intermediate, progressive and adventurous); many firms only offer four or five possibilities. Clients can also select a bespoke portfolio for a slightly higher fee.