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

Titanbay, a private market investment platform for investors, private banks and asset managers, has appointed Merrick McKay, head of European private equity for abrdn, to join its investment advisory board, to support fund selection.

The appointment follows the recent closing of Titanbay’s Series A funding round, in which abrdn was a lead investor, alongside investment firm Motive Partners and leading global wealth management platform FNZ, the firm said in a statement.

McKay has been head of the abrdn's European private equity team since 2018, where he is responsible for the company’s €8 billion ($8 billion) of assets under management. 

With more than 30 years’ experience in the European private equity industry, McKay has significant experience as an LP, GP, corporate financier, and service provider.

As part of the Titanbay’s investment advisory board, McKay will take an active role in deciding which strategies and funds to bring to the platform, offering investors access to a curated portfolio of best-in-class private markets funds, the firm continued.

He will sit as part of a panel of industry experts including Benjamin Gargui, head of Manager Selection at EJS Investment Management; Oliver Burgel, former CEO of Barings in Europe Region; Jean Francois Le Ruyet, partner of the Quilvest Private Equity team; and Przemek Obloj, managing partner and CIO at Blue Horizon.

Welcoming the move, McKay said: “At abrdn, we share a fundamental commitment to expanding access to private markets, particularly at a time when the role of private markets is increasing as both a possible returns generator and risk diversifier.” 

“To this end, I am delighted to be joining Titanbay’s Investment Advisory Board, leveraging abrdn’s deep industry expertise to assist the team in building a sophisticated portfolio of some of the industry’s most exciting managers and funds,” he continued.

Thomas Eskebaek, CEO of Titanbay added: “Merrick is one of the most experienced private equity investment managers and we are delighted to welcome him to the investment board.” 

“His expertise in fund selection will be invaluable as we continue to develop our private markets portfolio at a time when the enormous potential in this space is still yet to be fully realised,” he said.