The latest moves and appointments for wealth management roles in the UK, and other parts of Europe, the Middle East and select international locations.

Canaccord Wealth
Canaccord Wealth, the UK wealth management business, has appointed Adam Smith (pictured), as chief operating officer of its wealth planning division.

Smith will support the continued development of the wealth planning division and its integration within the broader wealth management offering. In particular, he will concentrate on operational effectiveness, client experience and helping to deliver the division’s strategic ambitions.

Smith, an “industry leader,” with more than 25 years’ experience in financial services, technology, product and commercial leadership, joins from Quilter, where he spent two years as programme director, leading their advice transformation, the firm said in a statement. Prior to Quilter, he spent six years on the executive committee at Fairstone including managing their discretionary investment management business, Fairstone Private Wealth. He has also served in senior leadership roles at Intrinsic, Cofunds and Legal & General.

“This key strategic hire will enable us to capitalise on the significant investment we’ve already made to enhance our integrated wealth management proposition,” Duncan Stratford, managing director of Canaccord Wealth, said. “Adam has a strong track record of leading change and developing propositions with the needs of clients and advisors at the centre, a vital capability as we continue to deliver the highest standard of service possible to our clients.”

Berenberg
Gunnar Regier, an experienced capital markets expert, arrives at the extended management board of Berenberg on 1 January 2027, subject to regulatory approval.

His appointment follows 28 years at JP Morgan, where he serves as managing director, with responsibility for relationships with the executive boards of its key German clients. Previously, as a member of JP Morgan AG’s (now JP Morgan SE) executive board, he headed the markets division, which involved the regulatory and organisational restructuring of the bank in the wake of Brexit.

“I have known Gunnar Regier for many years, including from our time serving together on a supervisory board,” Dr Hans-Walter Peters, special representative vested with management authority and a shareholder of Berenberg, said. “He is highly client-focused and brings extensive experience in the capital markets business. He will lead our Investment Bank and will be responsible for it at management board level in the future.”

In other news, the Hamburg-headquartered bank recently announced that Dr Peters, long-time partner of the venerable bank, had acquired the 5 per cent shareholding in Joh Berenberg, Gossler & Co previously held by former managing partner David Mortlock.

W1M Wealth Management
W1M Wealth Management, the UK-based wealth manager, has appointed Wenyu Bai to the newly created head of AI role. Her hire is the latest investment to increase W1M’s operational capacity and AI adoption has been made to support the firm’s continued growth, the firm said in a statement.

Bai, who was formerly worked at St James’s Place during a period of continued growth and investment, has more than 18 years of experience across wealth management, pension investment consultancy, and AI and automation leadership. A recognised industry voice on the application of AI in wealth management, she brings industry insight and a track record in AI strategy, governance, innovation and adoption.

Bai will be responsible for leading and shaping W1M’s vision and approach to AI, helping to drive the responsible use of emerging technologies across the business while identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, innovation and client outcomes. She will lead the responsible adoption and firm-wide rollout of AI technology across the business. Bai will be supported in her role by W1M’s chief technology officer, Edward Blake.

“Bai’s appointment strengthens the leadership, technology and talent needed to embed AI responsibly and work more effectively at scale,” Guy McGlashan, chief executive officer at W1M, said. “Building this capacity now will help us manage greater complexity without compromising service quality. It gives W1M a resilient platform from which to innovate, remain competitive and deliver better outcomes for clients over the long term.”