Lowes Financial Management, the UK IFA and structured products specialist, has appointed Sham Yapa - latterly of Investec - as business development manager.

Yapa is a specialist in derivatives and structured products, and he was part of a team brought in by Investec to launch a structured product operation in 2007.

In his new role Yapa will be based in London and will initially be responsible for developing the group’s online services. He will also bolster the investment management team as the current investment manager, Melvyn Bell, is transitioning into semi-retirement.

Yapa worked for Lowes on a six-month internship in 2003. He then worked for Abbey National Financial Markets as an analyst until it was acquired by Santander UK in 2006, and he and four others joined Investec.