The latest moves, appointments and personnel changes among wealth management and related organisations in the UK, the rest of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and select international locations.

Candriam
Candriam, a global multi-asset manager focused on sustainable and responsible investing with over €149 billion ($155.28 billion) of assets under management, has appointed Cristina Lugaro as head of distribution – Nordics, with immediate effect.

Based in Stockholm, Lugaro (main picture) will report to Olivier Maes, head distribution BeNeLux & Nordics and a member of the executive committee.

She will be responsible for leading the growth of Candriam’s market share within the Nordics as part of the business’ continued engagement in the region’s institutional and wholesale distribution markets, the firm said in a statement. Lugaro is taking over Alain Deflandre, head of distribution Luxembourg & Nordics, who will continue in his role as head of distribution Luxembourg.

Lugaro has over 19 years of extensive experience in asset management and international sales, working for Nordic, European and US-based investment firms. She has a large investor network in the Nordic markets and extensive knowledge of alternative investments covering both private and public capital markets, including private equity, real estate, hedge funds, the maritime sector, and insurance-linked securities.

Prior to joining Candriam, Lugara was head of sales, Sweden at privately-owned Nordic investment firm Ness, Risan & Partners (NPR) Capital Advisory AS. She has also held senior positions at firms such as alternatives investment manager Ress Capital and BNP Paribas Asset Management. Lugara started her career at The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Melon) as market pecialist, global custody services, in Brussels, before moving on to Fortis Investments and then Fortis Investments/BNP Paribas’ Nordic filial Alfred Berg in Stockholm. She speaks Swedish, English, Spanish and French.

“Her [Lugara's] proven experience will help further strengthen our position in the region, where we already have a notable presence working with institutional investors such as pension funds, particularly at a time of increased demand for sustainable investment products and solutions," Maes said. "I am confident that with her onboarding we will further expand our footprint in the region and meet the growing demands of Nordic clients.”

Charles Russell Speechlys
Charles Russell Speechlys, the law firm, has promoted two of counsel in Paris: Julia Landru in the private wealth/tax team and Orlando Vignoli Neto in the corporate/private equity/venture capital team.

Vignoli Neto (pictured below), who specialises in business law, has over eight years’ experience. He advises clients on domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, in particular leveraged buyouts and other private equity transactions. He also advises private equity funds, entrepreneurs, company founders, family and private groups, and senior executives on their acquisitions, fundraising and disposals. Vignoli Neto studied at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas and the Federal University of Minas Gerais and is admitted to the bars of Paris and Brazil. He joined Charles Russell Speechlys in 2022.

Orlando Vignoli Neto

Landru (pictured below), who began her career at Charles Russell Speechlys in 2015, has been advising entrepreneurs, families and family groups on a national and international level for almost 10 years. She advises and litigates on their wealth law and tax requirements, including the structuring of family groups, business and private assets’ transfers, successions, property structuring, tax audits and disputes, international mobility and philanthropy. Landru holds a master's degree in law and financial engineering (Jean Moulin Lyon III University).

Julia Landru

“At Charles Russell Speechlys, we attach the utmost importance to the training and internal promotion of our talent. We believe that the recognition and development of our people is essential to ensure the stability and continuity of our teams,” Frédéric Jeannin, partner and managing partner of the Paris office said. “The promotions of Julia Landru and Orlando Vignoli Neto are the fruit of their commitment and hard work. We warmly congratulate them.”

The Openwork Partnership
The Openwork Partnership has appointed David Thomas as digital product director.

Thomas, who brings a wealth of experience to Openwork, recently served as head of product at Schroders Personal Wealth. Thomas spent 15 years with Schroders Personal Wealth and Lloyds Banking Group wealth advisors. Before that, he was a financial advisor at NatWest Private Banking. As a former Chartered Financial Planner, he brings expertise to help advisors provide a range of propositions to their clients.

Thomas will report to Stuart Dodson, managing director of The Openwork Partnership. “We are committed to driving growth at Openwork, and David’s appointment marks a key step in advancing our advisor technology capabilities. We are pleased to welcome David to the team, where his experience and vision will play a vital role in this next strategic phase,” Dodson said.

Anna Bartholomew also joins as head of partnership services. She will be responsible for strategic collaborations with the business and growing relationships with external firms. Both of these appointments, which follow the recent arrival of CFO Jennifer Mathias, will strengthen the leadership team, the firm added.

AllianceBernstein
AllianceBernstein, a global investment firm with $792 billion in assets under management, has appointed Adam Peters as head of UK retail distribution. He will be based in AB’s London office.

Peters, who has nearly 20 years industry experience, most recently worked at Goldman Sachs Asset Management as head of UK wealth distribution. He was responsible for leading growth and development of the UK wealth distribution business, covering client segments including banks, single and multi-family offices, along with independent wealth and asset managers. He has also worked at Octopus Investments.

In his new position, Peters will be responsible for developing relationships with wealth management and advisory firms in the region.

“The UK continues to be one of the cornerstone markets in EMEA with a sophisticated client base with a growing interest across a wide range of products and solutions,” Honor Solomon, CEO of EMEA, AllianceBernstein, said. “With Adam we have found an expert who has the right technical understanding as well as a consistent focus on distribution. I am delighted to welcome him to the team."