Snakes and Ladders: Who is moving jobs in the City 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.
City firms are continuing to adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic as they vie to be in prime position to recover from the economic fallout of the crisis.
This week, marketing firm Kantar has announced the appointment of a marketing veteran as its new chief executive and law firm Clifford Chance has bolstered is financial investor proposition with a new hire.
Meanwhile, Ringley, a property consultancy firm, has decided now is the right time to jump into the prime central London property market.
Kantar hires marketing veteran as new chief executive
Alexis Nasard has been hired as the new chief executive of data, insights and consulting company Kantar to lead the transformation of the firm.
Nasard, who is currently chief executive of Swiss footwear company Bata, previously held senior marketing positions at Heineken and Proctor and Gamble.
Kantar chairman Adam Crozier said Nasard is a “world-class CEO” who “understands the value Kantar delivers, and the role it plays in advising the world’s biggest consumer brands”.
He will join the company from 30 December.
Hiscox appoints new boss of reinsurance and insurance-linked strategy
International specialist insurer Hiscox has appointed Kathleen Reardon as chief executive of its Re and ILS unit, subject to regulatory approval.
Reardon, who was chief executive of Bermuda-based Hamilton Re for six years, will replace Mike Krefta, who announced in August that he will step down early next year.
She is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, served in 2020 as the chair of the Reinsurance Association of America, and is the former chair of Women in Reinsurance – an organisation she co-founded.
Aberdeen Standard Investments bolsters global multi-asset team with new hire
Aberdeen Standard Investments has appointed Justin Simler as head of multi-asset product strategy, to be based with the London team.
Simler, a Schroders veteran with more than 25 years of experience in investments, will lead the product strategy team to help drive innovation within the multi-asset business.
Prior to his decade-long stint at Schroders, Simler worked for Investic, BZW, Barclays and Merrill Lynch in various roles including head of research, chief investment officer and fund manager.
ASI global head of product for public markets Emily Smart said: “We are delighted that Justin has joined us to help drive growth in our multi-asset business at a very exciting time for Aberdeen Standard Investments.”
Ringley Group targets prime central London market with new unit
Property consultancy Ringley Group has appointed Lee Gregori to head up its new prime residential estate and block management service in central London.
In his new role as chief executive of Ringley Prime, Gregori will be responsible for building new relationships with developers, contractors and housebuilders within the capital’s most exclusive neighbourhoods.
The firm said now is the right time to expand into the prime central London market.
Gregori was previously an associate director of Warwick Estates Property Management and formerly ran the prime central London portfolio of FTSE-100 housebuilder Berkley Group.
Law firm Clifford Chance creates new financial investor role
International law firm Clifford Chance has created a new financial investor role as part of its executive leadership group.
The Magic Circle firm has promoted Singapore managing partner Kai-Niklas Schneider into the new position.
He will have a remit to lead the firm’s global focus on financial investors, such as private equity firms and asset managers.
Clifford Chance global managing partner Matthew Layton said: “With over $90 trillion under management , these organisatons play a growing and critical role in the economy, and they will be indispensable in building back and shaping the new economic and business landscape as the disruption caused by Covid-19.
“This new global leadership role underpins our commitment to ensure we remain best-placed to help the preeminent investors now, and in the future, as the opportunities and challenges before them grow in scale and complexity.”