Career moves including DFS, Julius Baer and Wesleyan

Mike Schmidt becomes DFS CFO

Furniture retailer DFS has hired Mike Schmidt as chief financial officer with immediate effect. He joined DFS in 2014 as chief development officer, led the acquisition of Sofology in 2017 and served as chair of Sofa Workshop and Dwell, before being appointed as DFS’s interim CFO.

Private bank Julius Baer appoints insider Rickenbacher as CEO

Private banking company Julius Baer has hired Philipp Rickenbacher as its new chief executive officer. He currently serves as the head of intermediaries and global custody at the bank and will succeed Bernard Hodler who is soon stepping down. Hodler will stay with the bank to ensure a smooth transition before pursuing other undisclosed projects. Rickenbacker also served as a consultant at McKinsey and joined Julius Baer in 2004.

Wesleyan names new group chief executive

Financial services provider Wesleyan has promoted Mario Mazzocchi who previously served as chief operating officer, as its group chief executive. He will take up office from 1 August 2019 and will succeed Craig Errington who will be stepping down after serving for 15 years as chief executive and 28 years with the company. Prior to this, Mazzocchi worked at Lloyds Banking Group where he served as chief operating officer and held several senior leadership roles in marketing, sales, change, strategy and operations across retail, corporate banking and insurance.

Johnston Carmichael appoints Andrew Walker as CEO

Business advisory and accounting firm Johnston Carmichael has brought on board Andrew Walker as its chief executive officer. The existing chief executive Sandy Manson will take on the role of chair, as Andrew Shepherd steps down. Walker bring along nearly 23 years of experience in corporate finance, he also was instrumental in setting up the firm’s 12th office in Dundee and has served on the board for more than 11 years.

Volunteering charity hires new chief executive

A Charity that runs nearly 100 volunteering programmes around the UK, Volunteering Matters has taken on board Paul Reddish as its CEO following the stepping down of its current CEO Oonagh Aitken. Reddish will step down from his position as chief executive of community empowerment charity ProjectScotland but the two organisations will continue to work in conjunction, since they’re already engaged in a joint venture to support the European Solidarity Corps programme. Reddish has extensive experience in the financial sector.

Appointment of CFO at Altus strategies

Copper ores company, Altus Strategies has appointed Martin Keylock as its chief financial officer. He will succeed David Miles who will act as an adviser to the company. Keylock joined Altus in November 2018 as financial controller of the company and has more than 15 years of experience in corporate accounting. Prior to Altus, he has worked in the telecoms and architecture sectors and recently at Velocys.

Astarte hires ex-Hermes manager as finance director

Alternatives co-investment platform Astarte Capital Partners has hired Richard Templer as finance director. Templer brings along a wealth of experience in the financial services sector and has held roles in real estate, private equity and infrastructure teams. Prior to Astarte, he has worked in a finance role at AMP capital on the Global Infrastructure Funds. He also served at Hermes GPE, Deutsche Bank and Mayfair Capital. The organisation also appointed Bruno Fumach as investment director.

Glenhawk appoints COO to spearhead product expansion

Challenger lender Glenhawk has taken on board Steven Khan as its new chief operating officer. He will be responsible for accelerating the growth of the company with a view of new product launches. Khan has around 40 years of residential and commercial real estate experience. Commenting upon Steven Khan’s appointment, Glenhawk CEO Guy Harrington said: “Steven’s appointment is another major statement of our ambition as we build a senior team of highly experienced individuals who can provide the leadership required as we continue on our upward growth trajectory.”

Populus hires Kantar man Simon Taylor as FS Director

Research and strategy consultancy Populus has recruited Simon Taylor as its director of financial services. Taylor joins the company after a stint of more than 17 years at Kantar as head of client development, financial services and technology. In his current role, Taylor will develop the financial services business of the company and work with new and existing clients. Commenting upon Taylor’s appointment, managing director Gary Muncaster said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon to the Populus team and look forward to growing our financial services offering.”

Initiative Ireland names new director of finance and treasury

Peer-to-peer property lender Initiative Ireland has hired Aisling Healey as director of finance and treasury. Healey brings along over 30 years of experience in financial management. She has held various senior financial role and has experience in accountancy practice, software development, energy, not-for-profits, and education.  Commenting upon Healy’s appointment, Initiative Ireland co-founder and chief executive Padraig Rushe, said: “Healey shares our commitment to ethical finance and brings a wealth of experience to the team.”

Alan Morgan to take over as CEO of GLH as Neil Gallagher resigns

Global hotel company’s chief executive Neil Gallagher has decided to step down and will be replaced by Alan Morgan. Gallagher served the company for five years and was promoted from chief financial officer to CEO. Prior to this role, Morgan has served the Rank Group where he was retail managing director, having held roles including chief operating officer, commercial director and regional operations director. Commenting upon his appointment, Morgan said: “I am excited to join the fantastic, hard-working team at GLH Hotels. The organisation is primed for growth and I look forward to leading the company through new ventures. I wish Neil success in the future and thank him for his years of service at GLH.”

Benchmark CFO steps down

Aquaculture health, nutrition and genetics business, Benchmark’s chief financial officer Mark Plampin will step down after serving the organisation for nine years to pursue other opportunities. He will continue in his role until a replacement is sought. Commenting upon Plampin’s decision,  Peter George, chairman of Benchmark, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mark for his considerable contribution during his time with the Group and wish him every success in the future.”

Kevin Hanlon appointed Beyond Housing CFO

Non-profit organisation, Beyond Housing has brought on board Kevin Hanlon as its new chief finance officer. He brings along around 30 years of financial experience within private and public sectors. Prior to this role, Hanlon was director of finance and resources at Chesterfield Council where he looked after finance function, internal audit, legal services procurement and financial management of 9,000 homes. Speaking about Kevin Hanlon’s appointment, chief executive, Rosemary Du Rose, Beyond Housing said: “I’m delighted to welcome Kevin to Beyond Housing; his extensive experience is a great addition to our leadership team, and I am really looking forward to working with him.”

Xceptor names former GBST exec as new COO

Global data ingestion and transformation software provider, Xceptor has recruited Tom Edwards as chief operating officer. Edwards brings over 30 years’ experience in project implementation and professional services delivery from a software vendor, consultancy and client perspective across the global financial services industry. He also served organisations including GBST, Aquila Heywood, Watson Wyatt and PA Consulting Group.

Commenting upon Edwards’ appointment, Andrew Kouloumbrides, CEO of  Xceptor, said: “Tom brings significant experience of scaling an organisation globally, which will be critical as we establish our position as the dominant platform in the ingestion and transformation of data for the financial sector. I am delighted to welcome Tom to Xceptor at this exciting time.”

Comments are closed.