Who's Moving Where In Wealth Management? – Quilter, Vermeer Partners, Downing, Others

Amanda Cheesley

5 July 2022

Quilter
Wealth manager , a London-based investment management partnership, has announced that Michael Kerr-Dineen is retiring as chairman of the firm.

As co-founder of Vermeer Partners, Kerr-Dineen joined the firm as chairman in 2018, alongside Simon Melling CEO.

Melling, who said that he had been with the firm from its very first days, through the challenges of the pandemic, leaves a thriving business with £1.8 billion ($2.2 billion) AUM. “We are delighted, however, that he will remain a partner of the firm, committed as he is to our continued success,” he added.

“The time is right for me to retire after 45 years in the City and I leave the vibrant and profitable firm in the capable hands of my successor, James Edgedale, together with my friend and colleague Simon Melling,” Kerr-Dineen said.

The firm had already announced last August that Edgedale, former chairman of JM Finn, would be appointed joint chairman of Vermeer Partners, alongside Kerr-Dineen.

Evelyn Partners
has appointed Roger Lewis to the newly-created role of head of ESG.

He is joining Downing from River and Mercantile where he was group head of ESG, responsible for implementing and overseeing the group’s ESG philosophy and core principles across its investment divisions, the firm said. In his new role, Lewis will lead Downing’s ESG strategy, reporting to James Weaver, COO, it added.

Prior to joining River and Mercantile, Lewis worked at Aviva Investors, where he was responsible for aligning ESG strategy and factors with investment functions across its £47.3 billion ($57.4 billion) real assets platform.

Welcoming him to the firm, Weaver, said: “Having worked and communicated with investors across a range of asset classes as well as having a deep understanding of ESG issues, he will play a key part in developing exciting ESG opportunities for our investors.”

“As a business we are committed to placing ESG factors at the heart of everything we do and he will play a key role driving that agenda across our funds, investment trusts and tax-efficient products within our principal business areas of renewable energy, infrastructure, property, and healthcare,” he added.