UK's Woodford Hires New Compliance, Risk Heads

Mark Shapland

27 November 2014

, the UK firm named after its high-profile manager Neil Woodford, has made new roles in compliance and operations.

Simon Osborne has been made head of compliance, while Gavin St John-Heath has snapped up the chief risk and operations officer role.

The new hires and roles are part of the UK asset manager's plans to build a sustainable asset management company.

Osborne joins from Los Angeles-based Nuveen Investments where he has worked since 2010, as senior vice president.

Meanwhile St. John-Heath has more than eight years’ experience having held several senior risk management and compliance roles, including Petronas Energy Trading.

And last but not least, Woodford has hired David Brailsford, who joins as data architecture delivery manager from IBM, and Vimal Patel, business analyst, who has joined from Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth manager Mubadala Development Company.

"As our business continues to grow, the demands placed on our legal and compliance operation will intensify. We have brought in experienced specialists to help implement procedures, which will cement our goal of building a fund management company that has the cutting-edge operational platform needed in a regulation-heavy, post-financial crisis world," said Craig Newman, chief executive at Woodford Investment Management.

Neil Woodfood, who started the investment advisory industry a year ago by leaving Invesco Perpetual, had established an enviable reputation as a high-performing fund manager. His departure and the commentary it provoked was a clear example of how the phenomenon of the "star" fund manager still exists.