Pictet Asset Management, Eaton Vance Management International, Aviva Investors, Irish Pensions Authority, TASC, Barnardo’s Ireland, UK Pensions Policy Institute, Legal & General Investment Management, Royal Bank of Scotland, AllianceBernstein, Newton Investment Management, Association of Investment Companies, Willis Towers Watson, AMP Capital

Pictet Asset Management – Niall Quinn has been appointed global head of institutional business (excluding Japan), starting at the end of February. Quinn joins from Eaton Vance Management International, where he was managing director, with responsibility for all operations outside North America and a focus on institutional business development. Based in London, Quinn will succeed Christoph Lanter, who is retiring after 17 years at Pictet.

Aviva Investors – The asset manager has created a new leadership team for its liquid markets division following the decision by David Lis, CIO for multi-assets and equities, to retire in March from his full-time role. Lis has been with Aviva for 18 years. He will continue to work with the asset manager as a consultant after stepping down from his full-time responsibilities. Mark Connolly has been promoted to CIO for liquid markets, encompassing multi-assets, fixed income and equities. He was previously CIO for fixed income. Dan James and Chris Murphy have been promoted to the roles of global head of fixed income and global head of equities, respectively. Peter Fitzgerald continues as global head of multi-assets. James, Murphy and Fitzgerald will form a new investment leadership team that will report to Connolly.

Irish Pensions AuthorityDavid Begg has been appointed to a five-year term as chairman of the Irish pensions regulator, succeeding Jane WilliamsBegg is currently director of think tank TASC and chairman of children’s charity Barnardo’s Ireland. He was previously secretary general of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and has held non-executive board position at Aer Lingus and the Central Bank of Ireland.

UK Pensions Policy Institute – Pensions veteran Lawrence Churchill has been appointed chair-elect of the UK research institution, set to succeed Michael Pomery as chairman of Council at the PPI AGM in June, subject to approval of the PPI governors. Welcoming Churchill’s appointment, Sally Greengross, PPI president, said he brought “a wealth of knowledge and relevant experience to the role”. This includes his past chairmanship of NEST, the default vehicle for the UK’s new auto-enrolment pension system, which he helped launch. He also set up the Pension Protection Fund, the UK lifeboat fund, and has been chief executive of three insurance groups. He is currently a trustee at the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK) and Age UK, and holds various other non-executive positions.

Legal & General Investment Management – Nicholas Bamber has joined the asset manager as head of private assets, a newly created role in which he will be responsible for building LGIM’s private debt capabilities. The appointment is subject to regulatory approval. Bamber joins from Royal Bank of Scotland, where he worked for more than 20 years, most recently as head of corporate coverage in the UK. 

AllianceBernsteinStephen Wells has been appointed director on the consultant relations team for the defined benefit and defined contribution investment markets. Based in London, Wells joins from Newton Investment Management, where he was senior institutional business development manager. 

Association of Investment CompaniesSarah Evans and Patrick Reeve have joined the AIC board, while Chris Russell and David Thorp have stepped down. William Hemmings and Melville Trimble were re-elected. The board changes were decided at the association’s AGM. Evans is non-executive director and audit committee chair of HICL Infrastructure Company, JPMorgan Senior Secured Loan Fund, NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund and Crystal Amber FundAmong other positions, Reeve is managing partner at Albion Ventures and a member of the board of the British Venture Capital Association (BCVA), where he is also chair of the BVCA Venture Public Policy Committee. 

Willis Towers WatsonBob Tyley and Mary Boyle have joined the consultant’s growing insurance investment solutions group a month after two similar recent senior appointments. Boyle and Tyler have more than 50 years of industry experience between them. Boyle joins from Just Retirement, where she was interim head of investment strategy. Their appointments further reflect increasing demand for investment services from insurers, according to Willis Towers Watson.

AMP Capital – Andrea McElhinney has been promoted to investment director, social and aged care infrastructure, with responsibility for the day-to-day portfolio management of the firm’s Australia and New Zealand-focused community infrastructure fund