The fellows have all made a considerable contribution to the development and standing of the investment management profession.

CFA Society UK, the society of investment professionals, has appointed four new fellows:

Deb Clarke, ASIP, NED, EMEA board member of Blackrock and member of the CFA UK Advisory Board; Matt Lonergan, CFA, former CFA UK board member and treasurer; Daniel Murray, CFA, former CFA UK board chair and CEO of EFGAM Switzerland; and Sacha Sadan, ASIP, director of ESG, FCA.

Open to CFA UK members and non-members alike, the accolade is awarded to people who are judged by the Society’s Fellowship Committee to have made an outstanding contribution to the profession or the aims and objectives of the society.

Clarke was global research chair and global head of investment research at Mercer for nearly 16 years, following an extensive career in asset management and consulting which included 20 years as a portfolio manager. She retired from Mercer in June 2021 and is building a portfolio career, including a NED role on the EMEA board of Blackrock and a member of the UK CFA Institute Advisory Board. She is a regular speaker at CFA UK's Ethical Leadership Programme and a regular attendee of the society's Advisory Council meetings that provide valuable feedback and guidance to the board and executive team.

Lonergan, who joined the CFA UK Board in November 2014, immediately became the society’s treasurer's for a six-year period. During his time on the board he was also a member of the IT committee, worked closely with the investment committee and contributed to various board governance reviews. Before joining the committee, Lonergan served on the accounting advocacy committee and the continuing education committee. 

Murray joined the CFA UK board in November 2014 having led the structured learning committee and previously the careers committee. He became involved in volunteering; he was a winner of the Society's Wincott Prize for the best article in the Society's Professional Investor magazine. During his time as chair (2018 to 2021), the society launched its first new qualification for 25 years (the Certificate in ESG Investing), completed a governance review that has seen the board become more strategic and welcomed CFA Institute's annual conference to London. Murray was due to step down in November 2020, but he stayed on with the other officers to see the society through Covid, the move to online exam delivery and the development of the Certificate in Climate & Investing which was launched early in 2022.

Sadan is the newly-created director of ESG at the Financial Conduct Authority. He facilitates the UK financial regulator to embed ESG across the wide spectrum of regulatory activities and reports to the CEO. Previously, Sadan was director of investment stewardship (10 years) and on the board at LGIM, one of the world’s largest asset managers. He was responsible for investment stewardship, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) areas, collaborating with other investors as well as governments and regulators. He was recognised in the Financial Times as one of “the 30 most influential people in the City of London.” Sadan was previously a UK equity manager at Gartmore where he co-managed a range of UK equity hedge, retail and institutional funds. He was voted the top-rated pan European fund manager in the Thomson Reuters Extel awards. Sadan started his career at Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension fund. He is a fellow of ICSA, a founding member of the UK Investor Forum where he was a member of their board for six years. Sadan is also a member of the group advising government on the development of net zero transition plans.

Welcoming the new fellows, Richard Dunbar, CFA FSIP, chair of the Fellowship Committee said: “We are delighted to welcome our four new fellows. Fellowship allows us to build and cement bonds with thoughtful, experienced investment professionals who can provide the society with guidance and feedback. The new fellows will enhance the fellowship’s demonstration of a level of common sense, intelligence, integrity, hard work and a commitment to the profession and to our clients.”

Will Goodhart, chief executive of CFA UK, added: “We’re delighted to recognise individuals who have contributed to the development of the investment management profession ... It’s an honour for us to welcome them all as fellows.”