City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week?
City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email [email protected] to be featured.
Ex-UBS and Canary Wharf Group chiefs join construction-tech firm
Chriss Hartiss 
Correy Voo
British construction technology company Modulous has bolstered its London workforce with former Canary Wharf and UBS leads this week.
Former director of the Canary Wharf Group Chris Hartiss has joined as design director, who has been tasked with creating energy-efficient homes.
“Without innovation, the housing crisis will continue to explode. We need to find ways to deliver quality, affordable and sustainable buildings at scale and pace if we are to have any chance of resolving it,” Hartiss explained.
Ex-UBS and Bank of America executive Correy Voo joins the tech firm as chief technology officer, in a bid to bolster Modulous’ software platform.
Hartiss, who was also director of Squire & Partners, is set to streamline the firm’s design processes.
With more than two decades of experience in design and architecture, Hartiss has worked on the capital’s redevelopments of Chelsea Barracks and One Tower Bridge.
Incoming CTO Voo is set to use his experience leading IT infrastructure at the world’s largest wealth manager, Swiss bank UBS.
Voo has a wealth of experience in high-tech infrastructure, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data systems.
“Having worked with Modulous at RELab, it is clear that we share the fundamental belief that there is a clear need for digitising construction,” Voo said.
INSTANDA poaches yet another Aviva lead
Insurance customer and policy management platform INSTANDA has poached another former Aviva lead to support the firm’s expansion into the life and health market.
Joining as a senior manager in propositions and business development, Simon Candy is set to spot new growth opportunities in the market.
“The opportunity to drive change through innovation and creativity has never been more important,” Candy said.
“The ability to host an end-to-end digital customer experience, and to be able to change or amend propositions quickly and effectively is crucial. No more so than in the life and health sector, where mass digitisation and evolving product design is likely to become the norm.”
The latest hire follows former Aviva executive Will Wood who joined the firm’s life and health arm earlier this year.
With 24 years of experience, with 17 spent at Aviva, Candy has a track record of managing and developing life and health insurance products.
Candy also worked as a marketing communications manager at HSBC for seven years prior to his Aviva role.
Health and life lead Wood said: “There’s a huge opportunity to concentrate on no-code/ low code technology in an area of the insurance market that has struggled to keep pace with digitisation.
“To keep ahead of the curve, insurers need to use technology to market and distribute products at speed.”
Ex-BlackRock VP joins London’s Adams Street
London-based private markets investment management firm Adams Street Partners has hired a new partner and global head of consultant relations this week.
The firm, which has $45bn of assets under management, has hired Jennifer Brown from investment management firm Barings, where she was managing director of its global business development group.
Brown is set to manage consultant activities worldwide and will strengthen relationships with consultant partners.
“Jennifer brings the experience, expertise and collaborative approach to help create strategic value for investment consultants and institutional asset allocators,” partner and global head of investor relations, Kevin O’Donnell, said.
Prior to Barings, the incoming partner was vice president of global consultant relations at investment fund BlackRock and assistant vice president of institutional equities sales trading at Barclays Capital, formerly known as Lehman Brothers.
“I’m looking forward to developing our relationships globally with the consultant community in ways that meaningfully serve clients,” Brown said.
Diginex bolsters board with ex-Biden and Clinton advisor
Technology firm Diginex, which partners with Microsoft, Coca-Cola and The World Economic Forum, has bolstered its board with a former senior advisor for president Joe Biden and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
While Tillemann has served as a senior advisor to Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry, he is most recently the outgoing executive director of digital impact and governance initiatives at New America.
The incoming board member is set to be based in Washington but will be travelling to and from its London HQ once restrictions ease.
“He has been working at the forefront of global policymaking on sustainability for many years and this experience will be invaluable as Diginex continues to scale rapidly, helping all businesses to approach ESG,” CEO Mark Blick said.