Merrill Lynch has appointed Gary Dugan as chief investment officer of its Global Private Client group in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Merrill Lynch has appointed Gary Dugan as chief investment officer of its Global Private Client group in Europe, Middle East and Africa. At the beginning of August, Mr Dugan joins from Barclays Wealth where he was Managing Director and Head of Research and Investment Strategy. Mr. Dugan has worked for 25 years across discretionary and advisory businesses during which time he has established himself as an industry thought leader. At Barclays Wealth, he was responsible for restructuring a variety of investment products and businesses. During his time with Barclays, Mr Dugan grew the multi-manager product to become the largest in the UK and second largest in Europe. Previously, he was global equity strategist and head of the Global Balanced Department at JP Morgan Fleming Investment Management. In the newly-created role of chief investment officer, Mr Dugan will provide investment leadership to both the discretionary and advisory businesses, further enhancing its service offering to a growing client base across the region. Based in London, he will report to Eva Castillo, Head of GPC EMEA and Michael O'Keeffe, Head of GPC Investment Management & Guidance. Eva Castillo said: “I am delighted that Gary is joining us. It was vital for GPC to appoint an individual with significant credibility and recognized industry achievements to lead its investment process. Gary brings with him an outstanding track record and strong leadership credentials – he will be a real asset to our team.”