The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 31 May 2024.
Church Commissioners for England has appointed Poppy Allonby as its new chief investment officer. She will replace previous CIO Tom Joy at the end of September.
Allonby is currently head of ESG enablement at T Rowe Price, having joined the asset management company in 2022. She previously worked at BlackRock for more than 20 years.
Allonby has been a board member and member of the assets committee at Church Commissioners since 2014. She also sits on the external advisory board at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Energy Initiative.
Church Commissioners manages more than £10bn in assets for the Church of England, including pension funds.
New insurance and longevity leader for Barnett Waddingham
Barnett Waddingham has appointed Kim Durniat as business area leader for its insurance and longevity consulting team. She replaces Scott Eason, who has just been promoted to managing partner.
Durniat has worked at Barnett Waddingham for 15 years, most recently as head of life consulting. In her new role, she will be responsible for expanding the company’s reach in the life insurance and general insurance markets.
Durniat said: “The insurance market is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transfer of pension scheme assets and obligations to insurance companies. We are supporting an increasing number of new entrants to the UK market, as well as helping clients navigate technology innovations and regulatory reforms. We are well-positioned to drive growth and build insurers’ success.”
Aviva Investors appoints institutional chief
Asset management company Aviva Investors has hired Steven Gardner as head of institutional for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
He joins from the asset management arm of Berenberg, a private bank, where he was head of asset management sales and client relations. He has also worked for Baillie Gifford, Barings, Franklin Templeton and Jupiter Asset Management.
In his new role, which he will take up from August, Gardner will be responsible for developing Aviva Investors’ institutional strategy across the UK and EMEA regions.
