UK/US- Edinburgh-based asset management company, Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) has appointed John Griffith as head if its North American business as part of the firm’s strategy to expand its business in the region.

Griffith, who will be based at SWIP’s offices in New Jersey, joins from Global Asset Management in New York, where he was managing director. However he previously worked at SWIP in the US until 1999 as investment director. SWIP says he is largely responsible for the development of the firm’s European equity business in the US during that time.

Elsewhere, SWIP has promoted David Mitchell to investment director of its property management team. His main responsibility will be managing the newly-launched £227m (€368m) UK balanced property fund and the £170m airport industry property portfolio.

Says a spokeswoman for SWIP: “Both these appointments represent organic growth. Our strategy to expand our North American business means that we need extra personnel there in the same way that the new property fund opened up opportunities for existing managers in the real estate department.”