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.

Lombard Odier Investment Managers
Geneva-headquartered Lombard Odier Investment Managers has just appointed Philippe Descheemaeker (pictured) as head of private assets distribution, as part of the firm’s growth ambitions in private assets.

Descheemaeker brings more than 20 years of experience in asset management, leading international teams, executing distribution strategies and achieving fundraising milestones, the firm said in a statement. He is based in Geneva and reports to Bettina Ducat, co-head of LOIM.

Before joining LOIM, he spent 12 years at SKY Harbor Capital Management as head of distribution and managing director. He was responsible for driving business development globally and managing the strategy for engaging clients, prospects and consultants across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Previously, he worked for 12 years at AXA Investment Managers in Paris, in roles including global head of fixed income product specialists and fixed income portfolio manager.

AXA Investment Managers
AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has just appointed Gordon Happell as portfolio manager in its global equity team. Based in London, he reports to Dominic Byrne, head of global equities for AXA IM Core.

Focusing on US equity, Happell co-manages both the AXA Framlington American Growth fund and the AXA WF US Growth fund alongside David Shaw, a senior portfolio manager, who has been at AXA IM since 2016 and who has over 30 years’ experience managing money.

Happell brings more than 18 years of investment management experience, joining from a 10-year role at Columbia Threadneedle Investments where he co-managed the US portfolio of the Global Smaller Companies Trust.

His appointment will bolster AXA IM’s global equities team, which was recently strengthened by the arrival of AXA IM’s head of global equity, Dominic Byrne, in September 2024.

Happell joined AXA IM in 2025 as a portfolio manager in the global equities team with a focus on US equities. He joined from Columbia Threadneedle Investments, where he co-managed the US portfolio of The Global Smaller Companies Trust from 2014.

Previously, he had co-managed a Global Technology OEIC at Henderson Global Investors from 2010 to 2014, where he was also part of the team managing the Henderson Global Growth fund. He began his investment career in 2006 at Aegon Asset Management, specialising in UK small/mid cap equities.

In the aforementioned case of David Shaw, he is a senior portfolio manager involved in several global and US equity strategies. He joined AXA IM in June 2016. Prior to joining AXA IM, Shaw was a senior portfolio manager at Aerion Fund Management, where he spent 13 years co-managing a $1.5 billion North American equity portfolio. He also spent 10 years as a UK fund manager and analyst, at Aerion Fund Management, NPI Asset Management and Natwest Investment Management. 

AXA IM manages approximately €879 billion ($1,002 billion) in assets, of which €493 billion are categorised ESG-integrated, sustainable or impact. 

Johnston Carmichael
UK accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael has just appointed Bryan Shepka as the new head of its financial services sector team. He is taking over from Ewen Fleming, who led the firm’s growth in the financial services sector over the last six years.

Shepka, who joined Johnston Carmichael in 2023 as an audit partner, has experience in the wealth and asset management sector gained over 14 years at a Big Four firm.

He has helped to expand the firm’s specialist financial services offering, including the growth of the team, which now has more than 100 people, the firm said in a statement. This includes financial services specialists across all key service lines, including corporate finance, audit and assurance, tax and consultancy services.

His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Johnston Carmichael which is increasing its presence across the UK. Last year, Johnston Carmichael expanded its dedicated financial services tax team in response to growing demand from clients in London, and across the UK. The team specialises in venture capital and mid-market private equity, infrastructure and real estate funds as well as investment trusts and venture capital trusts.