City Moves: Who is switching jobs in the Square Mile this week?
Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email [email protected] to be featured.
In this week’s City Moves, we have a host of newly created roles making their way across the Square Mile. From chief data officers to directors of environment social and governance – the new positions mark a fresh online era, as well as the increasing focus on environment social and governance (ESG) standards and commitments as the capital reaches for net-zero.
First chief data officer joins PwC UK
Big Four firm PwC UK has appointed its first chief data officer who is set to lead the firm’s newly formed Data Office.
Sunil Patel, who is also a partner, will join PwC’s growing global chief data officer network.
Leading PwC UK’s digital upskilling programme, Patel is “hugely excited” to step into the role.
“Data is intrinsic in everything we do, and using it responsibly is essential to making informed business decisions and creating more value for our clients,” Patel said.
“While it’s been clear for some time that the future of work is changing, the events of the last year have only confirmed that… Data is crucially at the heart of all of this.”
Bringing over 30 years of experience, Patel was formerly PwC’s chief operating officer for the firm’s technology and investments group.
Apex Group hires digital banking trio
In another newly created position, financial services group Apex has hired a head of digital banking.
Alistair Stuart will lead planned enhancements to the EDB digital banking platform throughout this year.
Formerly chief operating officer at Investec Bank, Alistair worked on a number of key digital initiatives including building their digital savings offering.
Stuart has also held senior operational positions at Lloyds Banking Group, Westpac Group and RBS.
“2021 will be a critical year for our digital banking business and we are excited to welcome someone of Alistair’s calibre, experience and vision to lead the offering,” Apex founder and CEO, Peter Hughes, said.
The group has further bolstered its digital banking team by hiring Ankit Shah as head of digital banking business development and Neale Croutear-Foy as chief technology officer of the digital banking branch.
Shah joins from QIC Global, part of Qatar Insurance Company, where he was most recently head of investments and treasury.
With over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, Shah has held various roles at AXA Investment Manager, UK Capital Investments Group and Grant Thornton.
Neale Croutear-Foy, most recently head of mobile banking management and customer and acquisition journey development at the UAE’s largest bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Bringing decades of experience, Croutear-Foy has also had roles at JP Morgan, UBS, Nomura and HSBC.
“I am proud to be joining Apex alongside Ankit and Neale, and to be part of launching a solution that will solve the challenges asset managers and corporates currently face when it comes to their business banking,” Stuart added.
FCA hosts new ESG and tech hires
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has hired a new director of environment social and governance (ESG) under a newly created role this week.
ESG has increasingly appeared on the City’s agenda, and Sacha Sadan is set to advocate for the FCA’s approach to sustainable finance domestically and internationally.
Leading the development of policy that will help ensure the long-term safety and soundness of firms, Sadan will also look to maintain the proper functioning of markets and the protection of consumers.
“We welcome the recent addition to our remit of a requirement to have regard to the UK target of net-zero carbon emissions,” chief executive of the FCA, Nikhil Rathi, commented.
Joining from Legal and General Investment Management as director of investment stewardship, Sadan has worked in fund management since 1994.
“Throughout my career as an asset owner, fund manager and global stewardship director I’ve focused on the protection of consumer interests and responsible capitalism, Sadan added.
“I’m delighted to join the FCA to help promote the UK as a global financial leader in ESG. I look forward to using my experience to help pursue these key objectives at the FCA.”
The FCA has also appointed a chief information officer (CIO) and a director of intelligence and digital.
Ian Alderton, who joined the authority on a temporary basis in January, is set to take up the permanent role of CIO.
Ian Phoenix will bolster the FCA’s intelligence and surveillance capabilities, as well as lead digital work to disrupt harmful online activity.
Most recently director of Citizens’ Health Technology at NHS Digital during the pandemic, Phoenix has also worked at the Home Office at the height of Brexit.
HSBC Asset Management hires new head
HSBC Asset Management has appointed as a new global head of institutional business, who will begin the capital-based role on 5 May.
Paul Griffiths will be responsible for the commercial development of the firm’s institutional business and lead its institutional sales and client management teams.
Reporting to CEO Nicolas Moreau and taking over from Brian Heyworth who left the firm last year, Griffiths brings over 30 years’ worth of experience in the industry.
“Paul’s extensive investment management experience and deep knowledge of the needs of institutional clients will prove invaluable as we continue to develop our proposition and differentiate our offering in the market,” Moreau said.
The new lead joins from First Sentier Investments where he was chief investment officer of fixed Income and multi asset solutions.
Prior to that, Griffiths has held senior positions with Aberdeen Asset Management, Credit Suisse, Axa and lnvestec.
“HSBC Asset Management has seen significant growth in its institutional business over the past year. This has been driven by bringing a strong set of innovative products to the market and I am thrilled to be part of its future development,” Griffiths added.