This week’s overview of transfers and appointments in the fund and asset management community in and outside Luxembourg includes updates from Goodwin, DWS, Abrdn, Neuberger Berman, Taskize, and others.
Codrina Constantinescu
Codrina Constantinescu has joined Goodwin as a partner in its private investment funds practice in Luxembourg, the laaw firm has announced.
Constantinescu brings extensive experience in the structuring, establishment, and operations of regulated and unregulated alternative investment funds, co-investment vehicles, and other arrangements, primarily advising fund sponsors. Constantinescu also supports institutional investors with their investments in Luxembourg and foreign funds and has expertise in regulatory frameworks.
Alexandrine Armstrong-Cerfontaine, head of Goodwin’s Luxembourg practice, noted that Constantinescu’s expertise in fund structuring and regulatory matters across jurisdictions would benefit the firm’s international clients. “Codrina’s expertise in both fund structuring and regulatory matters across jurisdictions will be of huge benefit to our international client base, particularly given the increased scrutiny around compliance,” she said in an announcement.
Constantinescu previously worked at Allen & Overy in Luxembourg, including its merged entity with Shearman & Sterling, and at Arendt & Medernach.
Vincenzo Vedda and Björn Jesch
DWS Group has announced changes to its leadership structure, combining its portfolio management, Chief Investment Office, and economic research units under the leadership of Vincenzo Vedda, who will assume the role of global chief investment officer (CIO). Vedda, currently global head of portfolio management – public markets, will take on these expanded responsibilities while continuing to report to CEO Stefan Hoops.
Björn Jesch, who has served as global CIO since 2022, will leave the company by mutual agreement. Jesch also resigns from his role as CEO of DWS CH AG in Zurich, with a successor to be announced later. Johannes Mueller, previously head of economic and thought leadership research, has been named the group’s chief economist and will report to Vedda.
Vedda has been with DWS since 2013, holding various leadership positions, including head of global trading, head of European client business, and most recently, head of active portfolio management.
Xavier Meyer and Richard Wilson
Scottish asset manager Abrdn has announced leadership changes with the appointment of Xavier Meyer as CEO of Investments and Richard Wilson as Group Chief Operating Officer.
Meyer, who has nearly 25 years of experience in asset management, including 14 years in Asia, succeeds René Buehlmann, who is leaving the firm. Meyer has served as Abrdn’s Chief Client Officer for the past two years.
Wilson, in the newly created role of group chief operating officer, will oversee the firm’s technology capabilities and focus on improving efficiency in IT and operations. He will continue to serve as CEO of Interactive Investor, Abrdn’s direct-to-consumer investment platform.
Paul Grainger
Paul Grainger has joined Neuberger Berman as managing director and senior portfolio manager in its fixed income division. With over 25 years of experience, Grainger previously served as head of global fixed income and currency at Schroders.
Neuberger Berman manages 509 billion dollars in total assets, including 232 billion dollars in fixed income. The firm’s fixed income platform consists of more than 195 investment professionals worldwide and focuses on a globally integrated, collaborative approach to portfolio management.
Commenting on the appointment, Ashok Bhatia, co-chief investment officer for fixed income at Neuberger Berman, highlighted Grainger’s expertise and track record as a valuable addition to the team.
Arnaud Scherpenseel
AIG has announced the appointment of Arnaud Scherpenseel as marine underwriting manager for Belgium and Luxembourg, effective 1 December.
Scherpenseel brings extensive expertise in marine insurance to the role and will oversee underwriting operations in these key markets. His appointment marks a return to Belgium as he takes on this new responsibility.
Diedrik Geeraerts
Taskize, the investment operations collaboration platform owned by Euroclear, has appointed Diederik Geeraerts as chief executive officer. Geeraerts, who has been with the Euroclear Group for 20 years, brings extensive client-facing experience to the role, including his most recent position as global head of client service at Euroclear Bank and deputy branch manager of Euroclear’s Poland branch.
James Pike, who has been serving as interim CEO, will transition to chief revenue and business strategy officer. In this role, Pike will focus on aligning Taskize’s platform and partner ecosystem with Euroclear’s data-enabled services strategy.
Shinichi Sasaki
Rakuten Symphony has appointed Shinichi Sasaki as its new chief financial officer, succeeding Hironori Shimada, who will now oversee Rakuten Asia’s regional operations from Singapore.
Sasaki brings over 17 years of international executive experience within the Rakuten Group, including key roles in Luxembourg, Hong Kong, and Singapore. During his tenure at Rakuten Europe, he was based in Luxembourg, where he contributed to the development of the Group’s e-commerce operations across five countries.
Investment Officer publishes an overview of key appointments in the financial sector in and around Luxembourg every week. Send your announcements via email to editor@investmentofficer.lu.