This week’s overview of people transfers and appointments in and around Luxembourg includes updates from law firms Simmons & Simmons and Clifford Chance, Carmignac, Northern Trust, NBIM, and Fasanara.
Simmons & Simmons
Law firm Simmons & Simmons has appointed Thierry Somma as its new country head in the grand duchy. He succeeds Louis-Mäel Cogis, who will focus on his legal practice in the financial sector.
Somma has led the firm’s Luxembourg corporate practice, a role he will continue to hold next to his new responsibilities. He brings nearly two decades of experience advising international and domestic clients on corporate law and M&A matters. He joined Simmons & Simmons in 2018 and specialises in real estate, infrastructure and private equity deals.
Meanwhile in London, Matthew Pitman has been named sector head of asset management and investment funds. He joined Simmons & Simmons in 2014 and has been a partner for more than a decade. Pitman has made his name as a specialist investment funds lawyer, focusing on a broad range of classes of private funds, with his practice covering both transactional and investment work.
Clifford Chance
Law firm Clifford Chance has appointed nine new senior associates in Luxembourg as of May 1: Hilda Bertamé, Tom Bleser, Pawel Buniowski, Julien Grünastel, Laurent Herbiet, Federico Lombardi, Cristina Mudure, Thu Thao Nguyen, and Anne Maria Weiske.
Katia Gauzès, managing partner of Clifford Chance in Luxembourg said these appointments highlight the firm’s strengths in its diverse practices, including financial markets, investment funds, tax, and corporate.
The law firm also has appointed five new counsel in Luxembourg: Antonio Arenas Torres, who has been with the firm since 2023, and Zoé Bofferding, Margaux Félix, Charlotte Reynders and Anne-Lise Vandevoir, who joined Clifford Chance in 2017.
Clifford Chance has been present in Luxembourg since 2000.
Joanna Olivier
Joanne Olivier was recently appointed as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, after presenting her credentials to HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume.
She has served in a wide range of roles in the British foreign service since 2009. She was most recently the deputy head of the Mediterranean department, since 2022. Overseas, she has served in Pretoria and Paris. In London she has served in the defence and strategic threats directorate, as a middle east policy planner and as head of Ukraine team. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, she had a career as a lawyer, including as a practicing barrister in London.
Northern Trust
Richard Thompson has been appointed as chief operating officer for asset servicing at Northern Trust Asset Management.
He will be responsible for first-line of defence risk management business management, operational oversight and strategic governance. Thompson re-joined the company in 2007 and has been part of risk function, banking and markets, and product management teams.
He most recently worked as head of financial oversight for bank and markets.
NBIM
Alexander Knapp has been appointed as the new global head of real estate at Norges Bank Investment Management. He will take up the position on June 16.
Knapp joins NBIM from Hines, one of the largest privately held real estate investors and managers in the world, where he was chief investment officer, Europe and member of the global executive committee and the global investment committee.
At Norges Bank Investment Management, he will be responsible for the fund’s listed and unlisted global real estate investments and strategy implementation. He will be based in London.
Carmignac
Charles Carmignac and Amaury Carmignac, sons of Edouard Carmignac, have been nominated by French asset manager Carmignac (44 billion dollars AUM) to join the board of directors in June 2025 as non-executives. This will be voted on at the annual general meeting. These appointments further strengthen the family’s position.
Charles Carmignac is at the helm of the Fondation Carmignac, a foundation that presents the Carmignac Photojournalism Award each year and organizes exhibitions at the Villa Carmignac on the island of Porquerolles on the French riviera.
Amaury Carmignac is a mechatronics engineer who supports companies in France, China, and the US with design and production-related issues, focusing on the e-bike and automotive industries.
Edouard Carmignac founded his firm in 1989. Of the 14 directors, four will now be members of the Carmignac family. The firm is owned by the family and its employees.
Fasanara
London-based Fasanara Capital, a 4.5 billion dollar technology-driven asset manager, has appointed Fawad Tariq-Khan as managing director for the Middle East, in which post he will be based in Abu Dhabi.
Tariq-Khan is a former group CEO of Shuaa Capital where he served for 10 years investing in credit, venture and private equity.
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