Citi Private Bank has appointed Richard Cookson, formerly of HSBC, as its chief investment officer.

Mr Cookson will be responsible for shaping investment strategy and thought leadership across the private bank’s global platform and will chair its global investment steering committee. He will report to Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi Private Bank. 

In his previous role, Mr Cookson was managing director and global head of asset allocation research at HSBC. Prior to HSBC, he spent several years at The Economist magazine where he served in a variety of roles, most recently as a columnist and international finance editor.

Citi also announced that Alex Godwin will join the private bank as global head of asset allocation.  He will report to Mr Cookson.

Mr Godwin joins from Lombard Odier, the Swiss private banking and investment firm, where he was global head of portfolio investment. Prior to that, he was head of portfolio analysis and solutions for Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management.