The UK arm of South African financial services group Sanlam has made three senior appointments as its former chief prepares to step down.

Sanlam UK has appointed chief financial officer Jeremy Gibson and former Ashcourt Rowan pair Steven Haines and Alfio Tagliabue to its senior management team.

The appointments come as part of the group's plans to merge all of its UK businesses into one corporate entity, led by Jonathan Polin. Polin was recently appointed chief executive of Sanlam UK, just months after stepping into the role of CEO of Sanlam Private Wealth.

Gibson, who has served as CFO at Sanlam UK since 2012, will become CEO of Sanlam Investments & Pensions. He will continue as a director of the firm.

Haines and Tagliabue will join the Sanlam UK board as group COO and group CFO respectively. The duo previously worked with Polin at Ashcourt Rowan, where Haines was head of governance and Tagliabue was CFO. They left the firm last year after it was acquired by UK wealth manager Towry.

“Over the coming months we will create one overarching Sanlam business in the UK – whilst keeping the integrity of our specialist capabilities. I am delighted to be working again with Alfio and Steve and believe that we have a leadership team with not only the experience and vision but a passion for this organisation and all it intends to achieve,” said Polin.

“We have the foundations in place to build a business that will take a leading role in the UK Wealth Management arena for many years to come.”

Sanlam this week confirmed the formal departure of its former UK CEO, Lukas van der Walt, on 29 February. He will become a strategic consultant to the group, advising it on development, mergers and acquisitions.