GLOBAL - West Midlands Pension Fund, APG, Towers Watson, Mercer, Active Asset Allocation International Consulting, MGM Advantage, JP Morgan Asset Management, Evercore Pan-Asset Capital Management, Newton, Pictet Asset Management, Northern Trust, HIG Capital

West Midlands Pension Fund - Geik Drever, currently head of the Lothian Pension Fund, is to succeed Brian Bailey as director. Bailey is set to retire on 31 March, while Drever starts in her new role on 1 March. She joined the City of Edinburgh Council in 1987 as an accountant, rising to chief accountant with responsibility for investment and treasury in 2002. She will work with Bailey until he formally retires.

APG - Pim van Ballekom, head of international public affairs at the €270bn pensions provider APG, has been appointed vice-president of the European Investment Bank with immediate effect. APG is the pensions provider of the €240bn civil service scheme ABP.

Towers Watson - David Shapiro has been appointed senior equity researcher in the UK investment business. He joins from Stamford Associates, where he was deputy CIO responsible for devising and implementing investment strategies. Before then, he established Greentrees Partners as a joint venture with Collins Stewart. He has also worked at UBS Global Asset Management and Morley Fund Management.

Mercer - John Benfield has been appointed as a partner in the consultancy’s investment business. He will be responsible for advising clients on investment strategy, including risk budgeting, dynamic investment strategy and manager selection. He joins from Aon Hewitt, where he was a senior investment consultant. Before then, he worked at Gulf International Bank UK, which he joined in 1992.

Active Asset Allocation International Consulting (AAAiC) - Vania Schleef has been appointed head of business development, joining from the EDHEC-Risk Institute. Before joining the AAAiC, Schleef spent seven years working with Moody’s Investment Services in the UK and Italy. The AAAiC said the hire came as part of its plans to promote its dynamic risk management and ALM solutions to institutional investors.

MGM Advantage - The retirement income specialist has appointed Philippa Dickson as a non-executive director. Dickson is currently global systems and operations director for Diageo’s global procurement function. Before joining Diageo in 2005, she held a number of senior positions and director-level roles at British Airways, BUPA, CIGNA and Royal Bank of Scotland.

JP Morgan Asset Management - Andy Lloyd has joined as a senior institutional client adviser for the Nordic region, becoming the first employee to be based at the newly established Danish branch in Copenhagen. He joins from Alfred Berg/BNP Paribas Investment Partners, where he was head of Nordic alternative sales and Danish institutional sales. Before then, he spent 15 years at UBS.
 
Evercore Pan-Asset Capital Management - The passive asset allocation specialist has appointed Bob Campion as institutional business director. He joins from Newsquest Specialist Media, where he was a pension fund trustee and editor-in-chief of institutional media brands Engaged Investor and Pensions Insight. He started his career as a journalist in 2001, specialising in asset management and institutional pensions.

Newton - Jeff Munroe, currently CIO, is to lead the asset manager’s global equities effort. Simon Pryke, currently head of private clients and charities, is to assume a redefined role of CIO. Caroline Tye will assume responsibility for the private clients business and, subject to regulatory approval, join the board. Jon Bell, currently investment leader for global equities, will join the multi-asset team.

Pictet Asset Management - The institutional asset management business of Swiss private bank Pictet & Cie has appointed Alain Caffort as a senior investment manager in the small-cap equity team. He joins from Groupama Asset Management, where he was responsible for a number of small and mid-cap European equity portfolios.

Northern Trust - Belinda Burgess has been appointed head of the Nordic region, replacing Madeleine Senior, who has been appointed as head of sales for the company’s EMEA asset servicing business. Burgess joined Northern Trust in 2005 and was most recently a senior executive within the global fund services business.

HIG Capital - The global private equity firm has appointed Henry Gregson as managing director of its London office. He joins from Pamplona Capital, a €1.3bn fund where he was a partner. Before then, he spent several years at the private equity arm of Royal Bank of Scotland.

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