The latest moves and appointments in wealth management in the UK, the rest of Europe, the Middle East and other select locations.

William Blair Investment Management
William Blair Investment Management has appointed Thomas Body as head of distribution for Germany and Mats Eltoft as head of Nordics distribution. Body and Eltoft will report to Tom Ross, partner and head of international distribution.

Body (pictured) will be responsible for overseeing the firm’s institutional business development and wholesale distribution efforts across Germany and will lead operations in Austria and Luxembourg. He  has almost 25 years of business development and client relationship management experience in Germany and Austria, covering institutional and wholesale business. In previous roles, Body served in senior client-facing positions, most recently as managing director and head of Germany and Austria for Union Bancaire PrivĂ©e. He has also worked for Aberdeen Asset Managers Deutschland. 

Eltoft will be responsible for business development and consultant relations activities across Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. He has more than 18 years of experience in institutional sales and asset management. In his most recent role, Eltoft was head of distribution for Franklin Templeton, focusing on targeting institutional investors across the Nordic region. Before that, he worked at Aberdeen Asset Management and Mercer in senior business development roles.

Ross said: “These appointments further demonstrate our commitment to Europe, as we expand across the region, offering a local presence for clients. We are excited to welcome Thomas and Mats, who will play significant roles in supporting our distribution team and efforts in the DACH and Nordic regions. They are both experienced leaders who have excellent knowledge of the wholesale distribution and institutional market and understand the challenges and opportunities ahead for our clients.”

William Blair works closely with private and public pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as financial advisors. As of 31 March 2023, William Blair Investment Management manages more than $61.3 billion in assets.

Latitude Investment Management
Latitude Investment Management, a London-based boutique investment partnership, has expanded its investment team with the appointment of Gabriel Hull as an analyst.

Hull will work across both the multi-asset Latitude Horizon Fund and the Latitude Global Fund – the firm’s concentrated global equity portfolio. He started his career at Fidelity International as an equity analyst in the emerging markets team, the firm said in a statement. Hull then spent three years as an investment analyst for Highclere International Investors, an affiliate of Silchester Partners Group. His appointment follows Mike Totton joining the Latitude investment team last summer as a senior analyst.

Freddie Lait, CIO and founder of Latitude Investment Management, said: “Our performance continues to be market leading, allowing us to attract significant new client assets and invest in our team and our technology. Our firm AUM has doubled over the past eighteen months as clients seek greater diversity of ideas within their portfolios.”

Moelis & Company   
Moelis & Company, a global independent investment bank, has appointed Edouard Debost as a managing director, joining in July. Based in Paris, he will provide financial advice to clients in France and across Europe, strengthening the firm’s presence in the region, the firm said in a statement.

Debost, who brings over 30 years of transactional experience, will be joining from JP Morgan where he was the head of the strategic investment group for France and Benelux and head of private client advisory for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the firm added. In those roles, he was responsible for investment banking coverage of financial sponsors, pension and sovereign wealth funds, family investment firms, and family-owned businesses.

Yorick van Slingelandt, managing director and co-head of Europe at Moelis, said: â€śEdouard’s arrival underscores our investment in the region and commitment to our clients as we add further depth and connectivity to our leading financial sponsor capabilities. His cross-sector experience and unmatched knowledge of the entire spectrum of alternative capital providers make him an excellent addition to our European platform and global network.”