The latest moves, appointments and personnel changes in wealth management for the UK, rest of Europe, Middle East, and select international jurisdictions.

BCB Group
London-headquartered BCB Group, a crypto-native payments platform regulated across multiple jurisdictions, has appointed James Sullivan (pictured) as chief risk and compliance officer. 

The firm said his appointment reflects its commitment to investing in global leadership and governance.

Sullivan brings more than 20 years of experience across legal, risk, compliance and governance, having recently worked as global general counsel and UK general manager at Bitstamp by Robinhood. There, he oversaw legal, risk, compliance, internal audit and CoSec functions across the UK, EU, US, BVI and Singapore. 

He also served in previous roles at Ziglu (chief risk and legal officer, COO and general counsel), Monzo Bank (VP head of legal and company secretary), Funderbeam and a non-executive directorship at FCA-regulated NCM Fund Services.

Sullivan emphasised the importance of defining risk appetites early and avoiding adopting a move fast and break things approach that has been employed by some firms in this sector. “Risk and compliance should be a business partner, not only a control function,” he said.

“His depth of experience across TradFi and crypto, combined with his strategic mindset and collaborative approach to risk, makes him the ideal leader to help us scale responsibly and sustainably,” Olly Tonkin, CEO of BCB Group, added.

Kingsley Napley
Kingsley Napley, the law firm, has appointed Paul Davidoff to join the private client team as a new partner over the summer to lead its international tax desk.

Davidoff advises UK-based and international high net worth individuals, families, trustees and beneficiaries on tax, trusts and estate planning. He is an expert in the complexities of the UK’s residence and domicile rules and the UK-tax implications of asset ownership or transfer for individuals, companies and trusts (both onshore and offshore). He advises those leaving the UK on their tax affairs and those returning to or arriving in the UK, whether or not they are UK citizens and have assets here or overseas. Davidoff also assists with the structuring and administration of UK and offshore trusts, as well as drafting UK and cross-border wills and succession strategies.

Previously, since 2018, Davidoff was a partner at New Quadrant Partners. A member of STEP, he completed the STEP Advanced Certificate in “UK Tax for International Clients” with distinction. He features in the Spear’s 2024 Tax & Trusts Advisers Index, CityWealth and Lexology and has also previously been recognised by the Chambers HNW Guide and Best Lawyers for Tax.

“The evolving tax landscape for UK and international HNWs means we are seeing unprecedented demand for tax related advice and planning services,” James Ward, head of private client at Kingsley Napley, said. “Paul’s expertise will be invaluable and I am delighted to welcome him to the firm.”

Johnston Carmichael Wealth
Johnston Carmichael Wealth, which has offices in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, has appointed Robbie Chisholm as a financial planner to strengthen its team.

Chisholm was formerly at Tweed Wealth Management Ltd, a senior partner practice of St James’s Place Wealth Management, where he was a financial planner providing financial planning services to individuals and businesses. Prior to that, he was a financial planner at John Home Wealth Management. In his new role, he will manage a portfolio of both individual high net worth and corporate clients, helping to design individual planning strategies.

"Robbie’s extensive experience and client-centric approach make him a strong addition to our growing team of financial planners in Inverness,” Craig Hendry, managing director at Johnston Carmichael Wealth, said. “As we continue to expand, it’s vital that we bring in professionals who not only have the technical expertise but also share our commitment to delivering a high-quality, personalised service. Robbie embodies those values, and we’re excited to see the impact he’ll make."

Boodle Hatfield
London-headquartered Boodle Hatfield, a private wealth and real estate law firm, has appointed Dom Rothbarth as a partner in its private client and tax team.

Rothbarth, who was formerly at Taylor Wessing, has experience of advising individuals, private banks, family offices and trustees on a range of areas, in particular structuring, succession and estate planning, often involving cross-border elements. He acts for entrepreneurs and early-stage investors throughout the lifecycle of their businesses and regularly supports senior executives and financial services professionals in relation to remuneration, carried interest and co-invest arrangements, HMRC investigations and disputes. Many of his clients have global interests.

“Dom is a great addition to our team,” Andrea Zavos, senior partner said. “His technical ability, coupled with his commercial instincts and personable approach put him in an excellent position to provide valuable advice to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of our clients."

U Wealth
U Wealth, the dedicated wealth management entity of Switzerland’s Unigestion, has appointed wealth management figure Ilaria Russo (pictured below) as director and senior relationship manager for advising ultra-HNW clients on investments. She announced her appointment on her Linkedin page.

Ilaria Russo

Russo has 18 years of experience in private banking and wealth managemnent in Geneva and Zurich. She has worked at Cargill, Merrill Lynch, Julius Baer and a Zurich-based multi-family office. Russo is also a Certified Wealth Management Advisor and holds two master's degree in international trade and finance. She has also completed executive programmes in sustainable investing (Zurich), leadership (Oxford) and family business management.

Bernard Sabrier is chairman of U Wealth and also the chair of Geneva-headquartered Unigestion.